Daylight on Sunday revealed the extent of destruction in Dimona and Arad following Iranian missile strikes the previous night, with drone footage showing residential buildings whose facades were torn away and left uninhabitable.
The first strike hit Dimona, where about 60 people were wounded, most of them lightly. Dozens of housing units were damaged, and one residential building is expected to be demolished. A youth club and a kindergarten were destroyed.
Arad
(Video: Reuters)
Residents of the affected neighborhood were initially evacuated to a nearby school. Later in the evening and overnight, 485 residents who could not return to their homes were relocated to a hotel at the Dead Sea.
A short time after the Dimona strike, a ballistic missile scored a direct hit in Arad. In that attack, 115 people were wounded, including 10 in serious condition and nine in moderate condition. Heavy damage was caused to about 20 buildings.
According to assessments, unlike other recent incidents, the missile that struck Arad carried a large warhead rather than a cluster munition.
Dimona
(Video: Reuters)
Arad Mayor Yair Maayan said between 100 and 150 families from the affected area will be forced to evacuate. Speaking at the scene Sunday morning, he said three buildings are slated for demolition and pledged to expedite building permits and construct 15-story residential towers in place of the destroyed homes.
Following the strike on Arad, the Home Front Command announced after a situational assessment that protective guidelines were tightened in Lachish, western Lachish, western Negev, central Negev, southern Negev and the Dead Sea region, shifting from partial to limited activity.
Under the updated restrictions, educational activities are suspended in those areas, and gatherings are limited to up to 50 people, provided a standard protected space can be reached in time. The restrictions now mirror those in most parts of the country.