A HAMAS rocket hit a strategic Israeli military base where up to 50 Jericho nuclear missiles are stored it has been claimed.
The rocket, fired by the terror group during the October 7 massacre, did not hit the missiles at the Sdot Micha base, 25 miles northeast of Gaza.
ReutersThe attack overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system[/caption]
It is believed Hamas targeted a military base where Jericho nuclear missiles are storedmilitarytoday
AFPThe October 7 assault sparked an all-out war[/caption]
However, it did spark a massive blaze near other storage facilities according to a report by The New York Times.
It struck around 10am and landed in a small ravine close to a large radar system
Satellite images reveal the blast sparked a fire in the dry vegetation which Israeli firefighters tried to tackle.
According to the analysis, at least two firefighting aircraft were seen near the fire while new roads had been cut through the woods near the rocket’s blast zone.
Even though the fire damaged some 40 acres at the base, it did not reach any other strategic facilities.
An IDF spokesperson refused to comment on the claims.
Israel has never acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons but US officials and Israeli whistleblowers have suggested it does – at least a small number of nuclear weapons.
Director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project Hans Kristensen, told The Times that he estimates there are 25 to 50 nuclear-capable Jericho missile launchers stored at the base.
The Jericho III intercontinental ballistic missile is reportedly the most advanced nuclear missile in the Middle East and is capable of striking targets as far away as the US.
The radar-guided missile can carry a 750kg nuclear warhead over a range of 4,800-6,500km.
Kristensen added that the warheads are most likely kept in a different location.
He noted that even if the fire had reached the facility, the underground storage facilities would be able to withstand the damage.
But he did say there are still risks of having a fire of that size near a critical munitions depot.
“All sorts of things can go wrong,” he said.
The report explains that it is the first time Hamas is believed to have targeted a site suspected of containing nuclear weapons.
It added that it is uncertain whether the terror group was aware of the base’s significance.
Regardless it notes that the attack indicated “that the scope of the Oct. 7 attacks may have been even greater than previously known and that rockets can penetrate the airspace around Israel’s closely guarded strategic weapons.”
On October 7, the terrorist organisation launched an all-out attack on Israel firing over 5,000 rockets, slaughtering hundreds of civilians and taking hostages.
The barrage of missiles overwhelmed Israel’s renowned $1 billion “Iron Dome” system which could not keep up with the thousands of rockets launched from Palestine.