Iranian "Fajr" Missiles Target Central Israel; Impacts Reported Near Ben Gurion Airport
Iran launches a major missile barrage at central Israel, sending millions to shelters. Impacts reported in Rishon Lezion, Lod, and near Ben Gurion Airport. Emergency teams are on-site as "Fajr" missiles penetrate air defenses.
Millions of Israelis were sent to bomb shelters this morning as Iran launched a fresh barrage of long-range missiles toward central Israel. Reports from military correspondents, including Almog Boker, confirm that the projectiles were identified as Fajr-type missiles, some of which successfully penetrated air defenses to strike several high-traffic areas.
Emergency services (MDA) and the Israel Police are currently scanning for casualties and damage at several reported impact sites:
* Lod & Shoham: Projectiles or heavy fragments landed in residential areas. These towns are critically close to Ben Gurion Airport, which remains on the highest alert level.
* Rishon Lezion: At least two impact sites have been identified within city limits, with initial reports of property damage.
* Ben Gurion Corridor: An intersection near the airport was reportedly hit, though airport officials state that the runways currently remain operational for emergency and repatriation flights.
Fire and Rescue teams were dispatched to several scenes following reports of multiple impacts involving cluster missile submunitions within the district's jurisdiction.
The "Fajr" Threat and Submunitions
Military analysts noted that the use of Fajr missiles in this wave suggests a deliberate attempt by the IRGC to use high-volume, low-cost saturation fire to exhaust Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling interceptors.
* Cluster Warheads: Similar to the strikes on March 13 and 15, there are concerns that these missiles may be carrying cluster submunitions. On Sunday, a man in his 60s was moderately injured by glass shards from a similar cluster-munition impact in the center.
* Casualty Update: Two people were mildly injured in Shoham.
Despite the sirens, the Home Front Command has surprisingly begun a "gradual easing" of restrictions in other parts of the country (such as the Judea and Samaria regions) as of 6:00 AM today. However, for residents of the Gush Dan and Central districts, the instructions remain strict:
1. Stay indoors near protected spaces.
2. Avoid open areas where unexploded submunitions or "fizzled" rocket parts may be present.
3. Ben Gurion Airport: Passengers are advised to check with their airlines, as the "U.S.-Israel Air Bridge" for repatriation remains active but subject to immediate "hold" patterns during sirens.
The Broader War: Day 17
This latest barrage comes as the IDF confirms it has destroyed the Supreme Leader's private jet in Tehran and is pushing deeper into a "Third Line" of villages in Southern Lebanon. While U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright expressed hope for a resolution "within weeks," the IDF’s 91st Division and Air Force commanders signal that thousands of targets remain on their list.