Iran’s early morning missile fire on Israel on June 19 brought destruction to several areas. The strike on Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba was a blow to Israel’s medical facilities.
Another missile struck in Ramat Gan in a busy business area. Because most businesses are closed, the strike did not cause loss of life or the kind of impact it might have had if it were a normal day. However, the attacks on June 19 are clearly unique in the seven-day war.
The attacks are unique because of the locations of the strikes. A hospital, a business area, and a strike that reportedly used a new kind of cluster munition have all raised eyebrows. I’ve been to several of the sites impacted by missiles over the last week.
I went to Bat Yam on Sunday, June 15, after a missile hit a tall building and spread destruction over an estimated sixty buildings. In Tel Aviv, I also went to the site of the missile that fell overnight between June 15 and June 16. That missile also spread destruction across several blocks.
Israel faces challenges in protecting its modern cities
The attack on Ramat Gan illustrates the challenges Israel faces in protecting its modern cities. The strike took place in an area with a number of tall modern skyscrapers. These kinds of buildings could be disastrously affected by a missile hitting them. However, so far, Israel has been lucky in this respect. It didn’t appear that a building took a direct hit.
Israel has been resilient in these trying times. Emergency crews have responded immediately. The IDF’s Home Front Command and its Search and Rescue Brigade have been on the scene immediately. In addition, medics, including volunteers, have helped. Later in the day on June 19 other volunteers could be seen helping at the site.
These include the group Lev Ahad, which has been active for two decades, doing important work in times of crisis. I remember them back in 2009, in the days before Operation Cast Lead, when they were helping in Sderot. In those days before Iron Dome, Hamas' short-range rockets often hit houses in Sderot. The volunteer group would come and help people clean up and assist the elderly and others who need support.
This is what is special in Israel. People respond, and they don’t panic. Lives are saved and people are able to evacuate. Large numbers of people have been affected. Casualties continue to grow, especially injuries from the attacks on June 19. However, overall, the Iranian missile salvos appear smaller. Nevertheless, Iran has a deadly arsenal.
The Ramat Gan strike is yet another example of how bad things can get here. We have air defenses, but they can’t stop every attack. Israelis are staying home, and more businesses are not reopening. However, the overall Home Front guidelines have been relaxed slightly since Wednesday. It is not clear if they will continue to relax the guidelines.
Iran would like to terrorize Israeli citizens. It also wants to strike at Tel Aviv, the heart of Israel’s hi-tech success story and business power. It’s not always clear how Iran chooses its targets or how precise Iran’s missiles are.
Nevertheless, it is clear that Iran has shifted its fire a bit, targeting northern Israel and also southern Israel more than Tel Aviv and central Israel in the last two days.
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