‘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

At midnight, an Iranian cluster bomb shattered the ceiling of a modest apartment in central Israel, plunging a couple into tragedy. The weapon’s descent left a jagged hole in the top-floor unit, sending fragments of concrete and metal into the living room. Ash and debris blanketed the space, with the front of the building reduced to rubble. The explosion’s force was evident in the shattered walls and scattered remnants, including a fallen walking frame beneath overturned furniture.

“We heard three loud intercepts, but the fourth confirmed it was our home,” said Sigal Amir, a nearby resident who took shelter in her safe room. “A thunderous blast followed, and I felt a sharp pain in my ear from the shockwave.”

Neighboring homes suffered similarly. Sigal recounted how a door was torn off by the blast, leaving the adjacent house enveloped in dust like a winter snowfall. The couple, however, had not been in the shelter when the strike occurred, as one was unable to move quickly due to mobility challenges.

While Iran’s missile attacks have rarely caused major casualties, cluster bombs present a different challenge. These weapons spread over a wide area, making them harder to intercept even after the missile carrying them is downed. As the conflict has progressed, Iran has increasingly relied on this tactic. “You can see the entry point of a rocket that traveled from Iran in a massive missile, then fragmented into dozens of pieces,” noted Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, during a visit to the site. He added that multiple such impact zones had appeared across central Israel.

Another alarm blared during the visit, signaling an incoming threat. Sigal guided the team into her safe room, where she shared her growing uncertainty. “To be honest, in the last days I’m losing hope a little bit,” she said. “It feels like there’s no end in sight, no clear direction. We’re just holding on, but I don’t know how much longer this will last.”

Israel’s military claims to have dismantled over 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, suggesting the enemy’s attacks are now less potent. Yet the use of cluster munitions continues to test the nation’s resilience. The war, now in its 19th day, has seen the US and Israel target Iran’s infrastructure, including oil facilities, while Iran leverages the vulnerability of its Gulf allies to pressure Washington into ending hostilities.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah— Iran’s Lebanese proxy—has intensified its role in the conflict. After the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, the group joined the war effort, leading to widespread displacement and at least 912 civilian deaths in Israeli operations. This week, ground forces expanded their presence in southern Lebanon following mass evacuations. Reports suggest the US is considering a pact with Lebanon’s government to stabilize the region.