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

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

On a quiet night in central Israel, an Iranian cluster bomb breached the ceiling of an elderly couple’s apartment, detonating in their small living room and claiming both lives. The remnants of the attack, still visible in the ash-covered debris, told the story of its path. A large opening in the roof of their top-floor unit showed where the projectile had pierced, driving broken concrete and metal rods inward. Shrapnel marks across the rear walls highlighted the blast’s power, which had razed the front of the apartment, leaving it open to the street.

Inside, a walking frame lay overturned beneath the rubble and dust-covered furniture. Sigal Amir, who lived adjacent and was in a safe room during the strike, described the moment.

“We heard three loud explosions, but on the fourth, we knew it was our house,” she said. “A massive boom followed, and I felt the blast’s impact in my ear.”

She noted that neighbors just five meters away had their door blown off, with their home filled with dust like snow.

The couple had not been in the shelter at the time, as one was unable to move quickly. While Israel’s air defenses have intercepted most missiles, cluster bombs pose a greater challenge. These weapons scatter over a wide area, and even if the missile is downed, their munitions are “very difficult to stop,” according to Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani. During the visit, he pointed to the entry point of a rocket that had traveled from Iran, splitting into dozens of fragments. “We’ve seen multiple impact zones like this across central Israel,” he said.

As the war progresses, Iran has increasingly used cluster munitions. Meanwhile, the US-Israel campaign against Iran, now in its 19th day, has targeted military sites, oil facilities, and other infrastructure. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) reported on Tuesday that at least 1,354 civilians and 1,138 military personnel have been killed since the war began. Israel claims to have destroyed over 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, suggesting the enemy’s attacks are now weaker.

Despite this, the constant alerts—prompting Israelis to take shelter night and day—have begun to erode patience. The rising use of cluster bombs has sparked questions about the war’s duration. “To be honest, in recent days I’ve begun to lose hope a little,” Sigal Amir said while sheltering in her safe room. “It feels like there’s no end in sight, no direction, and no light at the end of the tunnel. We must keep enduring, but I’m uncertain how much longer this will continue, or where we’re headed next.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the conflict as the climax of a long-standing battle against regional foes. He has highlighted Israel’s military superiority, arguing the war has already transformed the Middle East and solidified the country’s status as a regional power. However, the war remains asymmetric, with Iran using the US’s sensitivity to oil prices, civilian casualties, and the safety of its Gulf allies to push for a ceasefire.

Israel also faces a second front with Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy on its northern border. The group joined the conflict after the assassination of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Lebanon’s health ministry reported 912 deaths in Israeli operations, with hundreds of thousands displaced. This week, Israeli ground forces expanded into southern Lebanon following evacuation orders, while the US is reportedly considering a deal with the Lebanese government to de-escalate tensions.