Hamas struck Israeli base housing nuclear-capable missiles in Oct 7 attack
An Israeli military base was reportedly struck by Hamas terrorists during their October 7 assault on the country, sparking a fire that approached missile storage facilities and other sensitive weaponry.
According to a report with the New York Times, many of Israel’s nuclear-capable missiles are based at the Sdot Micha base, which was struck in central Israel.
The rocket struck within the confines of the base, located 25 miles northeast of Gaza and 15 miles west of Jerusalem, the report stated, adding, the rocket landed in a small ravine adjacent to a Jericho missile facility, a large radar system and a battery of air defense missiles.
The explosion quickly started a fire in the thick, dry vegetation.
According to the warning alarm data, as stated in the report, the attack on the area around Sdot Micha involved a series of rockets over several hours.
The fire caused by the attack was first identified using public Nasa satellite imagery for detecting wildfires.
Though Israel has never acknowledged the existence of its nuclear arsenal, it appears to have recognised and responded to the threat of rocket attacks at Sdot Micha. However, satellite imagery analysts and US officials have agreed that Israel possesses at least a few nuclear weapons.
The report suggested the Sdot Micha base, in existence since 1962 and clearly visible on public satellite imagery, occupies thousands of acres of rolling hills. While rockets fired by militants in the Gaza Strip can be inaccurate, it is unlikely Sdot Micha was hit by accident, it stated.
In the latest, Israel’s military called for more evacuations in southern Gaza as it widened its offensive aimed at eliminating the territory’s Hamas rulers. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who are running out of safe places to go.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,500, with more than 41,000 wounded.