Hundreds of Dimona residents whose homes were damaged by an Iranian missile strike gathered Saturday night at a nearby school, where they registered for assistance and, if unable to return to their damaged home, were evacuated to hotels.
A total of 59 people were injured in the strike, most of them lightly, and were taken to Soroka Medical Center.
Destruction in Dimona
(Video: Herzl Joseph, Ilana Curiel)
The strike in Dimona, which left dozens of people wounded, including a child in serious condition, occurred after an interceptor was launched toward the missile but is believed to have missed. The IDF said it is now investigating the circumstances of the apparent failure.
“We were in the shelter. There was an alert and we closed the door. We heard a boom and dust came in through the windows," Iris, a resident of Dimona, said. "There was one injured person who didn’t make it to the shelter. He went downstairs and was evacuated. We came out and saw the entire neighborhood destroyed. Everything is gone — homes, vehicles. We registered and were told we would be evacuated to hotels.”
Eti, who also lives near the impact site, thought the city would be more protected. “We are in fear, under pressure — everything at once. Our house is gone. We never thought something like this could happen. We thought the city was protected because of the nuclear research center. It’s not clear how the interception failed. It’s a miracle there were no fatalities,” she told ynet.
Dudu Azran, whose home was destroyed, also arrived at the school seeking assistance. “My wife and eldest son were in the safe room,” he said. “They took two of the dogs with them, but couldn’t take the third. We knew something like this could happen,” he said.
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Commander of the Home Front Command, Major General Shai Klepper, at the evacuees' center in Dimona after the attack on the city
(Photo: Ilana Curiel)
Bat Sheva and Yehiel Dahan described the moment of impact. “We went down to the shelter as soon as the missile fall happened. It took us half a minute. Just as we got there, there was an explosion. We were thrown. There was smoke, and it went straight into the shelter. People fell. There was hysteria. I thought the shelter was collapsing, sinking into the ground. We felt it shaking, Yehiel said, adding: “We thought we were the most protected in Dimona, but we knew one day it would happen.”
Their daughter Odelia expressed anxiety over the current situation. “Until now we weren’t afraid. We didn’t feel the war. Tomorrow they were supposed to reopen the school. Now we’ll be afraid to even go to the supermarket. It’s dangerous. How will we celebrate the holiday? We think the war will continue for some time.”
Yakir Shamai, whose home sustained minor damage, said that his family always followed the Homefront Command guidelines, and went down to the shelter. "We weren’t complacent," he said. "You could say we had a miracle. We were in the shelter and heard a loud boom. Our children are resilient and we didn’t panic too much. My wife is a teacher and they were supposed to return to school — but that’s not going to happen now.”
Residents whose relatives were injured also came to the school, including Sigal Ohayon. “There is great anxiety and fear," she said. "My brother is in the hospital. He has blast injuries. We didn’t manage to reach the shelter in time. It was such a boom. We were on our way out when it hit. We felt the blast as we ran outside. I didn’t think this would happen here. My mother’s house — it’s completely gone. We were there when it happened. I don’t think this will end soon.”
Revital Ohayon described the damage to her home. “The house was completely shattered. When the alert sounded, I ran with the children to the safe room. The house is gone. The ceiling collapsed. Nothing is left. We were preparing to clean for Passover. They were supposed to return to school, but there’s no way I’m sending my children back."
"Where will I live with five children? We didn’t expect this to happen here. We said nothing would happen in Dimona. Everyone is in total shock. Thank God we followed the Home Front Command instructions. We are strong — thank God nothing happened to the children," she concluded.