According to a New York Times report published Monday, a rocket fired by Hamas into Israel at the start of the war apparently hit near a military base where, experts say, many of the country's nuclear-capable missiles are based, according to a visual analysis of the results of the attack carried out by the American media outlet.
Interceptions over the skies of Gush Dan and the lowlands // Ayelet Ozeri
While the missiles themselves were not hit, the newspaper reports, the rocket strike in the area of the Mecca fields sparked a fire that approached missile storage facilities and other sensitive weapons.
Hans Christensen, director of the nuclear information project of the Federation of American Scientists, told The Times that he estimates there are probably 25 to 50 nuclear-capable Jericho missile launchers at the base. According to experts and removed U.S. government documents, Israel's Jericho missiles are equipped to carry nuclear warheads.
Iron Dome missiles intercept rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, Photo: Reuters
Hamas firing rockets at Israel, Photo: AP
The previously unreported attack on the Micah fields is the first known case of Hamas hitting a site allegedly containing Israeli nuclear weapons. It is unclear whether the Hamas terrorist organization consciously aimed the rocket at the area beyond the fact that it was a military installation.
The attack in the Sdot Micha area included continuous rocket fire for several hours, according to warning figures in the area. It is unclear how many of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, or managed to evade and hit the base.
Hamas and IDF refuse to comment
The IDF spokesperson declined to comment on the Times' findings, as did Hamas, which received a request for comment from the newspaper but did not respond. The paper reports that it first identified the fire caused by the attack on Micah Fields using public NASA satellite images to detect fires. There hasn't been a fire — for any reason — of similar intensity at the base since at least 2004.
Further evidence of the attack exists in publicly available satellite imagery, rocket alarm footage and social media posts, which also revealed efforts to combat the fire sparked by the fallen rocket.
Additional satellite images taken in the hours after the attack captured the rapid spread of the fire and the efforts of the Israeli fire services to contain it.
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