The latest attack, however, underscores the fallibility of Israel’s anti-air capabilities, as well as Iran’s continued ability to launch counterattacks despite weeks of strikes on its military sites.
The Israel Defense Forces said it would investigate what went wrong after the interception failures.
Dimona, where the second missile hit, is perilously close to Israel’s main nuclear reactor and research site. Iranian state media said the strike targeted the nuclear facility in retaliation for an attack on an Iranian nuclear enrichment site at Natanz, though the IDF has said it was unaware of that operation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that no abnormal off-site radiation levels had been observed following the strikes, though it urged all sides to exercise restraint near nuclear sites.
The IDF intercepted several other Iranian projectiles on Sunday, but the falling debris from at least seven interceptions caused as many as 15 injuries in Tel Aviv, officials said.
And in the northern Israeli town of Misgav Am, one man was killed when artillery fired by Hezbollah struck his car.
The abrupt uptick in casualties comes despite the Israeli military’s frequent contention that Iranian missile power has been largely neutralized, with each salvo containing progressively fewer missiles.
“Even the best defense in the world isn’t perfect,” said Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the IDF’s international spokesperson, who visited the Arad impact site on Sunday.
