Iranian missile strikes directly hit two southern Israeli towns on Saturday, wounding more than 100 people after air defence systems failed to intercept the projectiles, medics reported.
In Arad, 84 people were injured — 10 seriously — while 33 were wounded earlier in nearby Dimona, which hosts a nuclear research facility widely believed to be linked to Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal.
Magen David Adom first responders described “extensive destruction” in Arad, with rescue workers sifting through rubble of bombed-out buildings, twisted metal, and blown-out windows. Firefighters battled blazes sparked by the impact.
In Dimona, a large crater was gouged next to piles of debris, with surrounding structures heavily damaged. A boy with shrapnel wounds was among those seriously injured but remained conscious.
Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said: “The air defence systems operated but did not intercept the missile, we will investigate the incident and learn from it.”
Iranian state TV described the Dimona strike as a “response” to an earlier Israeli attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear site.
Following the southern strikes, Israel’s education ministry ordered all remaining in-person classes nationwide to shift online.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue striking Iran and its allies after what he called a “very difficult evening.”
The barrages are part of Iran’s daily retaliation for the US-Israeli campaign that began February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and igniting the wider regional conflict.
