Israel escapes nuclear disaster due to Hamas attack
The New York Times confirms that a missile launched by Hamas in the October 7th attack hit an airbase containing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads
Israel narrowly avoided a nuclear disaster in the wake of an attack by the Hamas movement and Palestinian factions on October 7th. The American newspaper “The New York Times” reported that a missile launched by Hamas during the early stages of Operation Storm Al-Aqsa struck the Sdot Micha airbase in central Israel, leading to fires near sensitive facilities believed to house missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Satellite analysis showed that the fire ignited at the base and approached the facilities containing stores of sensitive weapons, including nuclear-capable missiles. The newspaper confirmed that the missile fell in the vicinity of the military base near the town of Beit Shemesh, close to Jerusalem, on the seventh of October during the launch by Hamas and Palestinian factions of thousands of rockets at southern and central Israel.
It pointed out that the missile caused fires at the base, covering 40 acres, but did not reach the sensitive facilities. It noted that air raid sirens sounded in the area around the airbase during the attack, but satellite images showed the fall of only one missile.
Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, told the newspaper that there are between 25 to 50 Jericho missile launchers capable of carrying nuclear warheads at the base, adding, “While Jericho missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads, it is likely that the warheads themselves are stored in a separate location.”
Despite Israel not acknowledging possession of nuclear weapons, reports indicate that it has about 300 nuclear bombs obtained with French support. There is also the Dimona nuclear facility in the south, which Hamas has repeatedly threatened to target.
Israeli Heritage Minister Ayelet Shaked had called for the use of nuclear bombs to destroy Gaza, sparking the anger of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who froze her membership.
Despite concerns about the missiles targeting military bases containing nuclear warheads, the newspaper report downplayed these concerns, excluding the possibility that the fires at the targeted base posed any danger, as the silos containing the arsenal are built underground and well-protected.
Experts also affirm that the fires cannot lead to the detonation of nuclear warheads, and their use follows specific technological rules and a precise set of events inside the warhead, as accidental detonation is not possible.
However, the newspaper, while not confirming Hamas‘s plans to target the base as part of its attempt to hit Israel‘s strategic missiles. noted that “missiles can penetrate the airspace around Israeli strategic weapons guarded heavily.”
In various wars between Hamas and Israel, the Palestinian movement targeted sensitive airbases, especially in the south and center of the Hebrew state. but the missiles did not reach their targets.
