Iran launched two major missile strikes on southern Israel, hitting Dimona and nearby Arad and injuring nearly 200 people in one of the most intense escalations of the ongoing war.
Israel’s Ministry of Health reported updated casualty figures following the attacks:
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In Arad, at least 116 people were injured, including seven in serious condition
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In Dimona, at least 64 people were injured, including one in serious condition
Overall, nearly 200 people were wounded in the strikes, with 11 reported in serious condition.
The ministry added that since the start of the war, at least 4,564 people have been evacuated to hospitals. Of these, 124 remain hospitalised, including one in critical condition and 13 in serious condition.
Also Read: Iranian missile strikes hit Israel's Dimona, Arad; over 100 injured
Missiles strike near key nuclear site
The attacks targeted Dimona — home to Israel’s main nuclear facility — and the nearby city of Arad. Iranian state television described the strikes as retaliation for an alleged US-Israeli attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility earlier the same day.
However, Israel denied carrying out any strike on Natanz.
Footage shows the moment an Iranian ballistic missile struck the southern city of Dimona this evening. pic.twitter.com/fCYwtgAj5x
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 21, 2026
At least two ballistic missiles penetrated Israeli air defenses, marking a significant breach in the country’s protection systems. Footage circulating online showed a missile descending at high speed before striking urban areas, carrying a conventional warhead with hundreds of kilograms of explosives.
The impact caused fires, severe structural damage, and chaos in residential neighborhoods.
Children among seriously injured
Among the critically affected were a 12-year-old boy in Dimona, who suffered shrapnel injuries, and a 5-year-old girl injured in Arad.
In Dimona, a woman in her 30s was moderately injured by glass shards, while 31 others sustained light injuries, mostly from shrapnel or while rushing to shelters.
The condition of a young boy wounded by an Iranian ballistic missile impact in Dimona has worsened, medical officials say.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 21, 2026
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it treated a total of 23 people who were injured by the missile impact, including the boy and a woman in her 30s… pic.twitter.com/MiNjF2TdGn
Additionally, 14 people were treated for acute anxiety following the attack.
Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba treated 175 wounded individuals from both cities, with 36 still hospitalized as of Sunday morning. Emergency services, including Magen David Adom (MDA), deployed dozens of ambulances and helicopters to evacuate the injured.
At the Arad impact site, MDA teams treated 84 people, including 10 in serious condition, 19 moderately injured, and 55 with minor injuries. Four additional individuals were treated for anxiety.
Extensive damage in residential areas
The missile in Arad struck between apartment buildings, causing extensive destruction and fires. Drone footage from United Hatzalah showed widespread damage at the scene.
Emergency responders described the situation as chaotic, with multiple buildings affected and fears of people trapped under debris.
Drone footage courtesy of United Hatzalah shows the scene of the Iranian ballistic missile impact in Arad.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 21, 2026
The missile struck between several apartment buildings, wounding dozens of people and causing extensive damage. pic.twitter.com/rIKL2tpZPC
Police Commissioner Danny Levy said authorities were conducting thorough searches to ensure no one remained trapped.
“We won’t leave here until we confirm that there is no one missing,” he said, adding that both technological tools and manual searches were being used.
Preliminary assessments indicated no one was missing, but operations continued as a precaution.
Israeli leadership vows continued offensive
Following the strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir pledged to continue military operations on all fronts. The Israeli Air Force subsequently launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran.
Officials described the attacks as part of the broader US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28.
Iran claimed the strikes were aimed at Israel’s nuclear research facility near Dimona, located about 10 kilometers from the city. The Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center is widely believed to be central to Israel’s undeclared nuclear program.
The escalating exchange of attacks underscores growing tensions linked to nuclear sites on both sides.
