The New York Times has reported that a rocket fired by Hamas militants on October 7th struck an Israeli military base where experts believe many of the country’s nuclear-capable missiles are located. The attack, carried out by Hamas, resulted in a fire at the Sdot Micha base in central Israel, which neared missile storage facilities and other sensitive weaponry in the area.
Although Israel has never publicly admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, several sources, including Israeli whistle-blowers, U.S. officials, and satellite imagery analysts, suggest that the country does, in fact, have a small number of nuclear warheads. Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project, estimated that there are likely 25 to 50 nuclear-capable Jericho missile launchers at the base.
The rocket strike on Sdot Micha is the first known instance of Palestinian militants targeting a suspected site of Israeli nuclear weaponry. While it is uncertain if the attackers were aware of the specifics of their target beyond it being a military facility, the incident underscores the potential threat to Israel’s strategic weapons. There have been reports of additional rockets fired on the base during the attack, overwhelming Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
Since the attack, Israel appears to have recognized and responded to the threat of rocket attacks at Sdot Micha, as new barriers and defenses have been built around the impacted areas. Publicly available satellite imagery and social media posts have revealed the efforts to fight the brush fire ignited by the fallen rocket.
The Sdot Micha base, where the rocket struck, is located 25 miles northeast of Gaza and 15 miles west of Jerusalem. Despite the significant fire that burned approximately 40 acres at the base, no major damage to weaponry or equipment was reported. The missile storage facilities are reportedly built to withstand damage, but experts have noted the potential risks associated with fires of that scale burning near volatile fuel and munition depots.