Israeli Family Hit By Missile Strike Receives Aid As War With Iran Slows Immigration

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – An Israeli family devastated by a recent missile strike near the central city of Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, has received financial assistance from a U.S. evangelical leader, as the ongoing war involving Iran has slowed—but not halted—the arrival of Jewish immigrants to the country.

The family was left grieving and displaced after the attack destroyed their home, killing a father, Yossi Cohen, and his mother, Bruria, while wounding several relatives, those familiar with the case said.

Evangelical leader Mike Evans visited the family at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and later pledged $50,000 to help cover medical expenses, housing, and recovery.

He met Pnina Cohen, who was injured in the strike along with several of her children. One of her sons, a three-year-old, underwent surgery on his legs, while her 13-year-old son had been due to celebrate his bar mitzvah—a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony—on the day of the attack.

Evans also attended Yossi Cohen’s funeral and later offered the family temporary housing in apartments in central Jerusalem.

HUMAN COST OF MISSILE ATTACKS

The assistance came as communities across Israel continued to absorb the human toll of missile attacks, including deaths, injuries, and widespread damage to homes.

Family members expressed gratitude for the support. “You came to us like an angel in a dream,” a relative told Evans.

Evans, known for his pro-Israel advocacy, has been visiting impact sites and hospitals in recent days to meet victims and assess needs.

Despite the attacks, Jewish people living abroad still consider moving to Israel, known in Hebrew as “aliyah,” the term for Jewish immigration to the country, authorities said.

Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer said joint military operations involving Israel and the United States have boosted a sense of pride and solidarity.

IMMIGRATION HOLDS DESPITE WAR

“The fact that Israel is acting together with the United States… creates a sense of Israeli pride,” he said in remarks reported by The Jerusalem Post newspaper.

More than 300 new immigration files were opened in the first week of the military operation, according to authorities.

Sofer said many prospective immigrants are postponing rather than canceling their plans.

“People come because they see hope,” he said, pointing to what he described as a strategic shift and a sense of belonging.

Officials say the campaign could deal a significant blow to Iran’s leadership, though the duration of the conflict remains uncertain.

ONGOING CONFLICT AND UNCERTAINTY

Authorities have pledged continued support for civilians, including new immigrants experiencing war for the first time.

For families like the Cohens, however, the impact is already deeply personal, as they begin to rebuild their lives after a devastating loss.

At least 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, 886 in Lebanon, and about 12 in Israel since the start of the war on February 28, according to health authorities and officials. U.S. Central Command says 13 American service members have been killed and roughly 200 troops wounded.

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