Resistance rocket struck IOF base suspected to house nuclear arms: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: New York Times
4 Dec 2023 22:13
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The "Sdot Micha" base is believed to house many of the regime's nuclear-capable missiles, although "Israel" has never officially acknowledged the existence of its nuclear arsenal.

Rockets are fired toward regime-occupied territories from the Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 (AP Photo)

The New York Times issued a report on Monday, detailing that a rocket, likely fired by the resistance during their October 7 operation against the Israeli regime, had struck the "Sdot Micha" military base located in the central occupied territories.

According to writer Riley Mellen, this base is believed to house many of the regime's nuclear-capable missiles, although "Israel" has never officially acknowledged the existence of its nuclear arsenal.

The rocket's impact did not directly hit the missiles, but it sparked a fire near the missile storage facilities and other sensitive weaponry.

The "Sdot Micha" military base in central occupied Palestine suddenly appeared to have burnt land, as shown in satellite data captured both before and after a rocket assault on October 7 (Credit: The New York Times, Source: Planet Labs)

The "Sdot Micha" base, located 25 miles northeast of Gaza and 15 miles west of occupied Al-Quds, is considered one of the most sensitive military locations in occupied Palestine.

Through visual analysis of satellite imagery, the report noted that the rocket's impact caused a fire that approached the missile storage facilities and other sensitive areas of the base.

⚡️REMARKABLE: NYT says that Hamas had fired rockets during their October 7 attack, striking the IOF military base of Sdot Micha, which according to experts, is a place where many of israel’s nuclear-capable missiles are located.

Everyday, Hamas’ achievements get unveiled, truly… pic.twitter.com/K1wS1hLnwX
— Arya - آریا 🇮🇷 (@AryJeay) December 4, 2023

While the exact number of nuclear-capable Jericho missile launchers at the base is not publicly known, Hans Kristensen, the director of the Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project, estimates there are likely 25 to 50 such launchers.

Israeli Jericho missiles are equipped to carry nuclear warheads, according to experts and declassified US government documents.

Pinching "Israel's" weakest point

The operation on "Sdot Micha" is significant as it represents the first known instance of resistance fighters targeting a site suspected of containing Israeli nuclear weaponry.

The rocket strike on the "Sdot Micha" base underscores the potential scope of the October 7 attacks, revealing that rockets can penetrate the airspace around the regime's closely guarded strategic weapons.

The attack involved a series of rockets over several hours, and the exact number intercepted by Israeli Iron Dome air defense system is unclear.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) declined to comment on NYT's findings. However, since October 7, satellite images show new security measures, such as earthen berms and barriers, have been implemented around military positions near the rocket impact location.

NYT identified the fire caused by the attack on "Sdot Micha" using public NASA satellite imagery for detecting wildfires.

The images show the rapid spread of the fire and efforts by Israeli firefighters to contain it.

The fire burned approximately 40 acres at the base, but weaponry and equipment remained safe. The flames stopped about 1,000 feet from the nearest suspected Jericho missile facility.

While experts note that the underground, tunneled storage facilities for the missiles are built to withstand damage, the incident raises concerns about the risks associated with a fire of this size burning near volatile fuel and munition depots.