‘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

In the heart of central Israel, an elderly couple met their end when an Iranian cluster bomb shattered their apartment ceiling late one night, detonating in their cramped living room. The aftermath left a stark trail of destruction, with debris and ash still bearing the mark of the attack. A gaping hole in the ceiling of their top-floor unit revealed the bomb’s entry point, sending fragments of concrete and metal inward. Shrapnel scars on the rear walls highlighted the explosion’s force, which obliterated the front of the home and exposed its interior to the street.

Sigal Amir, a resident nearby, recounted the event from her safe room. “We heard three noisy interceptions, but on the fourth, we knew it was our house,” she said. The blast left her with a ringing in her ears, and she described the chaos: “The neighbors lived just five meters away—their door was blown off, and their home was buried under dust like snow.” She noted the couple hadn’t been in shelter when the strike occurred, as one had limited mobility.

“We had dozens of impact points like this in central Israel,” said Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani during the site visit. He explained that while missiles carrying cluster bombs were often intercepted, each one dispersed 20 to 80 munitions, which proved “very difficult to stop.”

Though Iran’s missile attacks have rarely caused major casualties in Israel, the shift toward cluster bombs has altered the equation. These weapons spread over wide areas, making them harder to counter even when the initial missile is downed. As the conflict persists, Iran’s reliance on such munitions has grown, compounding challenges for Israeli defenses.

Meanwhile, the war’s toll on civilians and military personnel has reached alarming figures. Hrana, a US-based group, reported that at least 1354 civilians and 1138 soldiers have perished since the campaign began. Despite this, Israel claims to have dismantled over 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, suggesting a weakening enemy.

Yet, the relentless alarms—forcing Israelis into shelters throughout the day and night—have begun to test public patience. “I’m losing hope a little bit,” Sigal admitted during the visit. “There’s no end in sight, no direction, and we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Her words reflect a growing unease among those weary of the conflict’s duration.

The War’s Broader Impact

As the joint US-Israel campaign enters its 19th day, the focus has expanded beyond Iran to include Hezbollah, a well-armed proxy operating along Israel’s northern border. The group joined the fray after the assassination of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, intensifying the struggle. In southern Lebanon, Israeli ground forces have intensified operations, prompting mass evacuations and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. The Lebanese health ministry reports 912 fatalities from Israeli strikes.

Netanyahu has framed this war as the climax of Israel’s long-standing fight against regional adversaries, emphasizing the nation’s military dominance. However, the conflict’s asymmetric nature has pressured the US to act. Iran’s tactics, including targeting oil prices and Gulf allies, aim to sway Washington into seeking an end to hostilities. Israel’s timeline for resolution, meanwhile, seems longer than the US’s, with the country now battling on two fronts.

Amid the devastation, Israel’s population remains steadfast, though cracks are emerging. The relentless barrage of missiles and the increasing use of cluster munitions have begun to stir questions about the war’s sustainability and its ultimate goal.