A ferocious Iranian missile onslaught rocked Israel’s southern desert regions Saturday, zeroing in on Arad and Dimona—cities adjacent to the nation’s most sensitive nuclear installations. Over 100 civilians were injured in the barrage, with 11 fighting for their lives in hospitals. Reports indicate Israel’s Iron Dome and other defenses intercepted most threats but missed at least two ballistic missiles that caused widespread havoc.
In a defiant address, PM Benjamin Netanyahu and military head Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir pledged relentless warfare against all adversaries. The attacks, which unfolded in rapid succession, exposed vulnerabilities in Israel’s southern defenses and intensified fears of a broader conflict.
Heartbreaking details emerged of child victims: a 12-year-old lad in Dimona peppered with shrapnel and a 5-year-old girl in Arad among the severely hurt. Iranian outlets boasted of striking the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, a cornerstone of Israel’s ambiguous atomic program, located just miles from the impact zones.
Magen David Adom teams swarmed Dimona, treating a woman for glass shards, 31 for minor trauma from shrapnel or shelter scrambles, and 14 for panic-induced conditions. ‘The damage was extensive, panic absolute,’ recounted MDA’s Carmel Cohen. Beersheba’s Soroka Hospital rushed the boy to trauma care and six others to surgery.
The Arad strike soon followed, crumpling structures and wounding 71: 10 critical cases including the toddler, 13 moderate, 48 light injuries, and four more hospitalizations. This retaliation comes amid persistent U.S.-Israeli strikes to thwart Iran’s nuclear pursuits, signaling a dangerous tit-for-tat escalation that could engulf the region in flames.