More than 100 people were injured, including eleven critically, when two Iranian missiles struck southern Israel on Saturday night, March 21, 2026. The attacks, which targeted a desert region housing Israel’s primary nuclear facility, overwhelmed defense systems and resulted in direct impacts. The escalation marks a dangerous turn in ongoing regional tensions.
The missile strikes came after Iran alleged a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on the Natanz uranium enrichment complex. Iranian officials reported no immediate detection of radioactive material leakage following the incident, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
Sirens sounded in areas east of Beersheba around 7:00 p.m. Local time, signaling the imminent arrival of Iranian missiles. One missile impacted the town of Dimona, home to the Negev Nuclear Research Center, causing 47 injuries. Among those hurt was a 10-year-aged boy listed in critical condition and a woman with moderate injuries.
Emergency responders reported additional injuries resulting from shrapnel and panic as people sought shelter. Israeli emergency services, Magen David Adom (MDA), confirmed the range of injuries.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed a direct hit by an Iranian missile in Dimona, where a nuclear facility is located. Initial reports indicated at least 39 injuries and the collapse of a building due to the direct impact. Shrapnel too caused injuries.
Images circulating on social media showed a fireball crashing to the ground. Israeli military officials confirmed the images depicted a “direct impact of a missile against a building.” Magen David Adom rescue teams reported treating 39 people at various locations, including the critically injured 10-year-old boy.
Israeli television showed footage of a building with significant facade damage, riddled with holes and marked by shrapnel. Police released photographs of officers near a building with a large hole in its wall. “There was extensive damage and chaos,” rescuer Karmel Cohen said in a statement.
“Response” from Iran
Shortly after the attack, Iranian state television claimed the bombardment was a “response” to a prior Israeli attack on the Natanz nuclear facility. The Iranian organization for atomic energy had indicated earlier that the “Natanz enrichment complex was targeted this morning” but that no “leakage of radioactive materials” was detected.
The city of Dimona, located in the desert, houses a nuclear reactor considered highly protected, where research is officially conducted. Various reports suggest the facility has been central to nuclear weapons development in recent decades. While Israel maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” and does not confirm possession of atomic bombs, it is widely believed to have dozens.
In addition to the missile strikes, several people were injured in attacks by the Lebanese militia Hezbollah in northern Israel, according to media reports. Sirens also sounded in the southern coastal city of Eilat.
DZC /gs (efe, afp, dpa)
