The Colel Chabad daycare center in Beersheva, the largest city in southern Israel, was struck by an Iranian missile on Friday afternoon, causing significant damage to the facility but no injuries as the attack took place after its normal operating hours. It was the second Iranian strike on the city in 24 hours. 

“This daycare has always been a place of warmth, safety, and continuity for children and parents alike, especially during times of national crisis,” said Leah Blau, the center’s director, in a statement. “To see it torn apart by an act of war is devastating.”

The strike on the daycare center came a day after Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, the largest hospital in the region, was hit in a separate Iranian missile attack, lightly wounding 80 people. 

The center is one of 18 daycares in Israel operated by Colel Chabad, Israel’s longest-running social welfare organization, and part of the Ohr Chaya and Larissa Blavatnik chain of daycare centers. 

“In our 230-year history, we have faced many challenges. Through our faith in Hashem, we find the strength to continue,” Rabbi Sholom Duchman, director of Colel Chabad, said in a statement.

According to the statement, a search is underway for an alternate space to continue providing daycare services while rebuilding is underway. 

“This daycare will be repaired and reopened as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Duchman.