‘Very difficult to stop’: BBC visits scene of Iran cluster bomb strike on Israel

Very difficult to stop: BBC visits site of Iranian cluster bomb strike on Israel

On a quiet night in central Israel, a cluster bomb from Iran pierced the ceiling of a senior couple’s home, detonating in their small living room and claiming both lives. The remnants of the attack, still visible in ash-covered rubble, told a story of devastation. A gaping hole in the top floor apartment’s ceiling revealed the bomb’s trajectory, with shards of concrete and metal rods crumpling inward. The back walls bore the marks of shrapnel, evidence of the explosion’s force that obliterated the front of the building, leaving it exposed to the street.

“We heard three loud impacts, but the fourth one was unmistakable—it was our house,” recounted Sigal Amir, a neighbor who had taken refuge in her safe room during the blast. “A deafening boom followed, and I felt a sharp sting in my ear from the explosion. The people next door, just five meters away, had their door torn off and their home filled with dust like snow.”

Sigal noted that the couple had not been in the shelter at the time, as one had difficulty moving. While Iran’s missile attacks typically result in few deaths due to effective air defenses, cluster bombs pose a greater challenge. Even if the missile is intercepted, the munitions disperse widely, complicating efforts to neutralize them. As the conflict continues, Iran has increasingly relied on these weapons.

Israeli military spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani described the scene, emphasizing the scale of the strike. “You can see the entry point of the rocket that came all the way from Iran, breaking into dozens of fragments,” he said. “We’ve had multiple impact points like this across central Israel.” He highlighted that although missiles carrying cluster bombs are often intercepted, the number of munitions per strike—ranging from 20 to 80—makes them difficult to contain.

Casualty Statistics

To date, Iranian missile attacks have caused only 14 direct fatalities in Israel. Nine of these occurred in a single strike in Bet Shemesh during the war’s early stages. The broader US-Israel campaign, entering its 19th day, has targeted military installations, oil facilities, and infrastructure, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana). The agency reported Tuesday that over 1354 civilians and 1138 military personnel have perished since the conflict began.

Military Operations and Regional Impact

Israel claims to have neutralized more than 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, suggesting a decline in the threat. Yet, the persistent alarms and Iran’s use of cluster munitions have raised concerns among those weary of the war. “I’m beginning to lose hope,” Sigal said, reflecting on the prolonged tension. “It feels like there’s no end in sight, no direction, and we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Meanwhile, Israeli ground forces have intensified operations in southern Lebanon, following orders for mass evacuations. Lebanon’s health ministry reported 912 deaths and hundreds of thousands displaced due to Israeli actions. The US is reportedly considering a pact with the Lebanese government to de-escalate the situation. This conflict, framed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a decisive clash against regional adversaries, has also drawn Hezbollah—a well-armed Iranian-backed group on Israel’s northern border—into the fray. Its involvement followed the assassination of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei.