A Ukrainian girl came to Israel for cancer treatment. But an Iranian missile ended her life. Other family members died. Only her father remained in Ukraine to fight against the Russian invaders.

Seven-year-old Nastia from Ukraine and other family members were killed when an Iranian missile hit Israel. The little girl, who suffered from leukemia, had come to Israel from her hometown of Odessa for treatment two and a half years ago, according to a report by the news portal"ynet."

Nastia's grandmother Lena and her two young cousins were also killed when the rocket hit the city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on Sunday. The search for Nastia's mother Maria is still underway under the rubble, according to"ynet." She, too, is presumed dead. Nastia's father remained in Ukraine. He is fighting as a soldier against the Russian invaders.

Israel's President Izchak Herzog expressed his condolences to the father in a statement on the X platform."She came seeking life. Instead, she was murdered—along with her mother Maria, her young cousins Konstantin and Ilya, and her grandmother Lena—by a deadly Iranian missile," Herzog wrote. The world must condemn Iran's inexcusable crimes—and stand with Israel against"Tehran's empire of evil."

Last Friday, Israel launched a major air strike against Iran. According to Israel, the attack was intended to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb. Israel sees Iran's nuclear and missile programs as the greatest existential threat to the Jewish people.

Since the beginning of the war, according to official figures, 24 people have been killed and more than 800 injured in the attacks in Israel. According to the US-based human rights network HRANA, 639 people have been killed in Iran, including at least 263 civilians.

dpa/cvb