The Israeli army has reported a likely “missile debris impact” on an industrial zone in southern Israel, where a fire broke out on Sunday, after an Iranian strike was reported towards the territory. The Islamic Republic’s ideological army, the Revolutionary Guards, claimed to have struck an industrial complex in the south of the country with missiles.
Neot Hovav industrial zone (formerly Ramat Hovav) houses a park of over 40 factories in environmental and industrial infrastructure development sectors. It is located about 12 kilometres north of Beersheva, the main city in southern Israel in the Negev desert.
The army stated to AFP, “We understand that there was an impact from a missile debris.”
Images from the scene captured by AFP show the carcass of a warehouse emitting thick white, grey, and black smoke, while fire trucks spray water using a mechanical arm. “The situation is under control,” said Eyal Caspi, the commander of the firefighters who are expected to “extinguish the fire in the next few hours.”
“As a precaution, an incident involving hazardous materials has been reported, and all factory employees have been instructed to stay in protected areas,” stated the Neot Hovav industrial zone.
The Israeli Civil Defense, responsible for protecting civilians in emergency situations, advised residents near the complex to stay indoors due to the risk of toxic leaks.
Soroka Hospital in Beersheva stated it treated six lightly injured individuals at the industrial zone site, as well as 48 others in the city, mostly for anxiety.
In the past 24 hours, the army reported seven Iranian missile launches towards Israel.
The impact on the Neot Hovav complex is the second of its kind involving an industrial facility in Israel since the war began.
Ten days ago, the Haifa oil refinery in the north of the country was hit after the Israeli army reported Iranian missile launches towards the Israeli territory, as per Israeli media reports.
