The unfolding events around the Israeli base and regional tensions
On October 7, a missile strike hit an Israeli military base where, according to reports, missiles that could carry nuclear warheads were stored. A New York Times article, citing satellite imagery, describes the attack and its context.
Sources indicate that a rocket, likely launched by the radical Palestinian group Hamas, struck the Sdot Micha base. Experts cited in the publication note that the base houses a number of missiles capable of delivering nuclear payloads. The missiles themselves were not damaged, but a nearby fire was ignited by the impact, affecting the immediate area.
Israel has never officially confirmed possessing nuclear weapons. However, for more than half a century there has been a Nuclear Research Center located in the country’s north. Unverified reports have suggested that as much as 40 kilograms of plutonium could be produced annually at this facility. In the 1980s, reports circulated that the center might be vulnerable to attacks from Lebanon.
The Middle East situation intensified after Hamas militants crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, announcing the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was at war.
The stated goal of Israel’s military operation, code-named Iron Swords, was to repel the incursion, secure the release of more than 200 hostages including foreigners, and defeat Hamas. To achieve this, Israel launched extensive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip from the outset. At the same time, the Israeli National Security Council decided to halt the flow of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel into Gaza. Humanitarian shipments began moving through the Rafah crossing after October 20, but officials described their volume as insufficient to meet urgent needs.
By October 27, Israel announced an expansion of the ground offensive in Gaza. The exact start date of the new phase remained unclear, but it was evident that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had fled their homes and sought shelter in southern areas. On November 5, as part of the ground operation, Israeli forces cut off Gaza City from its food supply.
Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev spoke about the possibility of a long-term, even century-long, conflict in the Middle East, underscoring the enduring volatility of the region and the potential for protracted hostilities.