‘Very difficult to stop’: BBC visits scene of Iran cluster bomb strike on Israel

Iran’s Cluster Bomb Attack in Israel: A Harrowing Night

Late one night, an Iranian cluster bomb pierced the ceiling of a modest apartment in central Israel, detonating in the cramped living room of an elderly couple. The aftermath left a jagged crater in the ceiling, with debris and ash scattered across the floor. Shrapnel scars on the rear walls revealed the explosive force, which shattered the front of the residence and left it open to the street.

Inside, a walking frame lay overturned beneath the rubble, while ash-draped furniture and broken fragments of the apartment’s structure remained. Sigal Amir, a neighbor sheltering in her safe room, recalled the moment:

“We heard three noisy interceptions, but on the fourth one, we knew it was our house. There was a massive boom and I felt a pain in my ear from the blast.”

She described the devastation, noting that the nearby home had its door torn off and was filled with dust like snow.

Cluster Bombs and the Challenge of Defense

Though rare, deaths from Iranian missile attacks in Israel have become more concerning due to the use of cluster bombs. These munitions spread over a wider area and are harder to intercept, even when the missile is downed. As the conflict has progressed, Iran has increasingly relied on them, according to Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani.

“You can see the entry point of the rocket that flew all the way from Iran in a huge missile, and broke into dozens of pieces,” he said during a visit to the site. “We had dozens of impact points like this in central Israel.” He emphasized that while missiles carrying cluster bombs were often intercepted, their sheer number—20 to 80 per warhead—made them “very difficult to stop.”

A War of Attrition and Uncertainty

Meanwhile, the relentless air alarms have become a fixture of daily life, prompting Israelis to seek shelter repeatedly. The growing reliance on cluster munitions has led some in a weary population to question when the conflict will conclude. Sigal Amir echoed this sentiment, stating:

“To be honest, in the last days I’m losing hope a little bit. I feel there’s no end to it, no direction. We can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Despite the toll, Israel’s military claims to have dismantled over 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, suggesting the campaign is gaining momentum. However, the joint US-Israel operation, now in its 19th day, has claimed 1354 civilians and 1138 military personnel since the war began, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana). The effort has targeted military sites, oil facilities, and infrastructure across Iran.

Broader Fronts and Regional Implications

Israel’s struggle extends beyond its borders, with Hezbollah—a powerful Iranian-backed group—launching attacks from Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry reported 912 fatalities in Israeli operations, while hundreds of thousands fled their homes as ground forces advanced deeper into the country. The US has been exploring a potential agreement with Lebanon’s government to stabilize the region.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the conflict as a decisive phase in Israel’s fight against regional adversaries. Yet the war’s asymmetric nature has raised questions about its duration. As Iran pressures Washington through concerns over oil prices, casualties, and Gulf allies, Israel’s population endures the strain, with support for the campaign still robust despite growing doubts about its future.