At least 88 people were injured Saturday evening in a direct hit by a ballistic missile in the southern city of Arad, 10 of them seriously. Heavy destruction was also caused to about 20 buildings and property, residents were injured, as were passersby.
As in the hit earlier on Saturday in Dimona, an Arrow interceptor was launched at the Iranian missile but missed, and the reason is under review. Unlike recent incidents in recent days, the missile is believed to have carried a large warhead and was not a cluster-type munition.
The direct hit on Arad
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Magen David Adom reported that all the injured were evacuated, and that there are no known trapped or dead - but searches at the scene are continuing According to the latest MDA update, at least 10 people were seriously wounded in Arad, 19 moderately injured, 55 lightly injured, and 4 panic victims. The Southern District police commander said at least three buildings sustained significant damage, some at risk of collapse, and noted a separate site where interceptor debris fell.
“We evacuated children in serious condition. The impact was between the buildings. It’s a miracle it did not hit a building directly. The damage was caused by the blast. There are hundreds of people here,” he said, adding there is no longer concern about missing persons. Arad Mayor Yair Maayan said there was a seven-minute warning before the strike, and that between 100 and 150 families will need to be evacuated.
Searching for missing in Arad
(Video: Israel Fire and Rescue Services)
“We arrived quickly and saw that several buildings had been affected by the impact," an MDA paramedic who arrived at the scene said. "Many casualties were triaged, and numerous teams from across the Negev and the country responded. Searches are still underway in the buildings for additional casualties. We treated dozens of wounded from blast and shrapnel injuries, including some in serious condition. There were infants to elderly — everyone.”
The strike hit an area of Arad where many Gur Hasidim — members of a large ultra-Orthodox Hasidic sect — live. The mayor said the impact itself was in an open area surrounded by four-story buildings, and that the damage to the buildings was caused by the blast wave. He added that a fire broke out in one of the buildings and was extinguished.
Arad City Council member from Hassidut Gur, Yitzhak Gordon, told Ynet that it is a "difficult evening in Arad. The missile fell right between buildings. Apparently there are no more trapped people. There are dozens of injured and panic-stricken people. The walls of a row of buildings have fallen. The damage is very great. There are no safe rooms in the apartments, there are public shelters. We estimate that not everyone went down to the shelter because at this time of night, children are sleeping. The families are all being called to a school in the city, to an absorption center for evacuees. From there, we will evacuate them - those who go to the hotel in the city or to the dormitories in the city that will be used for evacuees."
Home Front Command Commander, Maj. Gen. Shai Klapper called the evening's two missile strikes a "challenging evening with two theaters. This is direct evidence that the enemy is firing at population centers. Home Front Command forces arrived with the assistance of rescue forces and emergency organizations. Being in a protected area saves lives, it is important to obey instructions. We are in a difficult theater. We and the Air Force are investigating ourselves. We are doing our best to ensure that there are a minimum of casualties."
An eyewitness who lives near the scene of the missile strike described the scene. "After the missile fell, I arrived and saw four buildings that were completely gone - old buildings that were completely damaged. A lot of destruction, a fire broke out, many injured, lots of children. These are very old buildings, and inside the apartments there were certainly no protected spaces. These are old foundations. I myself held a child who was slightly injured and evacuated him. We saw horrific sights. A lot of people I know were injured."
Deputy director of Soroka Hospital, Professor Roy Kassus, issued a statement following the direct hits in Arad and Dimona. "A complex evening at the hospital, two incidents one after the other. Dimona and Arad. After we finished treating the first wave of wounded in Dimona, they announced another fall in Arad. We started receiving reports from the field and declared a mass casualty incident," he said.
"About 80 injured people of varying degrees of severity were admitted. The blast and shrapnel injuries are not minor, some patients were transferred to operating rooms. There are very small children, one pregnant woman was injured here. It's too early to say whether any people are in danger of death," he added.
First published: 22:38, 03.21.26