Almost 100 wounded in Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel | Israel
Iranian ballistic missile attacks injured nearly 100 people in southern Israel on Saturday and hit the cities of Arad and Dimona after air defense systems failed to intercept at least two projectiles.
among the wounded It was a 12 year old boy and a five year old girlIt was stated that both of them were in serious condition.
Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 reported initial indications of possible deaths, although there was no official confirmation.
Authorities said at least 27 people were injured in Dimona, including a teenager. Serious injuries from shrapnel. At least 68 people were injured in Arad, 10 seriously and 14 moderately. The remaining slightly injured people were treated.
Mass death incident declared At Soroka hospital in Beersheba, emergency teams responded to multiple impact sites.
Eli Bin, CEO of Magen David Adom, said some people were believed to be trapped in damaged buildings in Arad. Describing the scene as “an incident of enormous magnitude”, the official added that there were concerns about people whose identities were not disclosed.
According to preliminary assessments, one of the missiles, which reportedly carried a conventional warhead weighing several hundred kilograms, crashed into residential buildings, causing structural damage and sparking fires in surrounding properties.
Footage circulating online shows the missile impact occurring a few seconds after the warning sirens were activated, but the timing could not be independently verified.
The Israeli air force said it did so. Investigation launched into apparent failure to intercept missile This impressed Arad. A parallel investigation was launched by the Home Front Command into the circumstances of the crash.
IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in her post on
Defrin said: “Our hearts go out to the residents of Arad and Dimona tonight.”
Unconfirmed reports suggested one building partially collapsed with people inside, while another caught fire, raising fears the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement following the attack in Arad, stating that it was “a very difficult evening in our campaign for our future.” “We will continue to hit our enemies with determination on every front,” he said.
The Israeli Air Force and Home Front Command are also investigating an earlier attack on the city of Dimona, located in the Negev desert 30 kilometers southeast of Beersheba and home to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, believed to be at the center of Israel’s undeclared nuclear program.
Earlier in the evening, Iranian state-linked media said the attacks on Dimona were in response to alleged US and Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities in Bushehr and Natanz. Israel has denied any attack on Natanz.
“The enemy has once again learned an unforgettable lesson,” Iran’s Tasnim news agency said in a statement that could not be independently verified. “No region is safe from Iranian missiles”
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was aware of reports that a shell had hit the city but had received no indication that it had damaged the nuclear facility. The agency added that no abnormal radiation levels were detected and that it continues to monitor the situation.
The Natanz facility houses underground centrifuges for enriching uranium for Iran’s controversial nuclear program and was already damaged in the war in June last year.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi repeated his “call for military restraint to avoid any risk of nuclear accidents” following the attack on Natanz.
Air raid sirens were triggered multiple times throughout the night in Dimona, Israel, underscoring the ongoing threat.
Earlier this week, Israel’s Home Front Command eased wartime restrictions in parts of the country, including Dimona, allowing schools and other educational institutions to reopen.
