‘Very difficult to stop’: BBC visits scene of Iran cluster bomb strike on Israel
Very difficult to stop: BBC visits scene of Iran cluster bomb strike on Israel
Nightfall had just begun when a cluster bomb from Iran pierced the ceiling of an apartment in central Israel, detonating inside a small living room and claiming the lives of its two elderly occupants. The remnants of the attack, now cloaked in ash, tell a clear story of the bomb’s path. A large opening in the top-floor ceiling indicates where it entered, while broken concrete and metal fragments lie scattered inside. Shrapnel punctures across the back walls highlight the blast’s intensity, which obliterated the front of the building and exposed it to the street.
A harrowing moment of impact
Sigal Amir, a neighbor who was in her safe room during the strike, described the event. “We heard three loud explosions, but the fourth was unmistakable—it was our home,” she said. The force of the blast was immediate. “There was a deafening roar, and I felt a sharp pain in my ear from the shockwave,” she recounted. The nearby neighbors, only five meters away, faced devastation as well. Their door was torn off, and their house was covered in dust, resembling a snowfall.
“There’s no end to it, there’s no direction, we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Sigal admitted while sheltering in the safe room. “We must endure this, but I’m not sure how long it will take, or where we are going from here.”
The couple was not in the shelter when the attack occurred. One of them had mobility challenges, leaving them vulnerable. While cluster bomb strikes are uncommon, they pose a unique threat. Unlike traditional missiles, these weapons spread over a wide area, making interception harder. Even if the missile is stopped, the dispersed munitions can still cause damage.
Escalation of Iran’s tactics
Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani noted the shift in Iran’s strategy. “You can see the entry point of the rocket that came from Iran in a massive missile, breaking into dozens of pieces,” he said. “We had dozens of impact points like this in central Israel.” He emphasized that while missiles carrying cluster bombs were often intercepted, their payloads—ranging from 20 to 80 munitions—made them particularly dangerous.
“We had dozens of impact points like this in central Israel,” said Lt Col Nadav Shoshani during the visit to the site. “The rocket that flew all the way from Iran in a huge missile broke into dozens of pieces.”
As the conflict persists, Iran’s reliance on cluster bombs has grown. Meanwhile, Israel’s population remains steadfast, though the constant alarms have worn them down. Israelis now retreat to shelters frequently, night and day, as the war drags on. The question of when and how it will end is starting to surface among weary citizens.
Broader consequences of the war
The joint US-Israel campaign against Iran, now entering its 19th day, has targeted military installations, oil facilities, and other infrastructure. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), at least 1354 civilians and 1138 military personnel have been killed since the war began. Israel claims to have destroyed over 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, suggesting its attacks are becoming less frequent.
Iran’s strategy also extends beyond Israel. The country is leveraging US concerns over oil prices, casualties, and the vulnerability of its Gulf allies to pressure for a ceasefire. Israel’s timeline for the conflict appears longer than Washington’s, as it continues to fight on two fronts. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group in Lebanon, has joined the battle after the assassination of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that over 900 people have died in Israeli operations, with hundreds of thousands displaced. Israeli ground forces have intensified actions in southern Lebanon, prompting widespread evacuations. The US is reportedly considering a deal with the Lebanese government to ease tensions, signaling a potential shift in the conflict’s trajectory.
