Rumors abound online after Iran’s rocket attack on Israel. On Tuesday, Iran fired around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. It has been claimed on social media that the attack rammed the entire Israeli air base Nevatim, one of Israel’s most important air bases which also houses Israel’s state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets. By 2023, Israel had 50 fighter jets at the base, while ordering 25 new ones, according to The Aviationist news website. The Tehran-times, which is controlled by the Iranian authorities, writes that the planes stationed at the base were, among other things, used in the attack on Lebanon’s capital Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Some sources say that over 20 fighters were destroyed, the newspaper writes. However, Israel has denied that the attack had major consequences. But what is true? On October 3, people had gathered in the Negev desert near the remains of one of the missiles fired by Iran at Israel. Photo: MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP – In layman’s terms, it sounds very smart New satellite images before and after the missile attack show damage to the air base. Among other things, on some of the buildings and on the runway. The Israeli army (IDF) has said that although most of the missiles were shot down by anti-aircraft defenses, some hit air bases and targets in the south of the country. But the damage to the air bases must have been minor. – No hits led, at any time, to disruptions in the air force’s operations, the IDF said, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The Nevatim air base in southern Israel before and after Iran’s missile attackPlanet Labs Inc. / Reuters It is quite likely, says Ole Jørgen Maaø, military historian and associate professor at the Air Force Academy. – I think these injuries look very limited. The craters on the runway, on other taxiways and such look quite small, he says to news. Associate Professor Ole Jørgen Maaø believes it is likely that Iranian missiles hit the Nevatim base, but that the damage is probably minor. Photo: Tom Balgaard / NRKF Associate Professor Ole Jørgen Maaø believes it is likely that Iranian missiles hit the Nevatim base, but that the damage is probably minor . Photo: Tom Balgaard / news But he emphasizes that the photos only show part of the base. Nothing is known about other possible injuries. It is also not known what was in the building that was hit and whether it is important for Israeli operations. At the same time, damage to the runway and other surfaces is relatively easy to repair. – In layman’s terms, it sounds very smart to shoot on a runway. Because then the planes suddenly can’t take off. At the same time, it is one of the easiest things to repair. It’s just flat land and asphalt. From an engineering point of view, it is fairly easy to fix the hole that has arisen, emphasizes Maaø. Runways are also long. It may be possible to use other parts while the repairs are being carried out. – If this is all the damage to the base, and the pictures are correct, and there was nothing important in that building, then I think this has a very limited effect on Israel’s ability to use its air force, he says. Likely direct hit Maaø believes the attack will not have major consequences for Israel’s ability to attack with fighter jets. On the night of Friday, for example, Israel carried out a major attack against targets in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. He emphasizes, however, that one does not currently have all the information about the Iranian missile attack. Israel, for example, has not said how many of the approximately 180 ballistic missiles were shot down. Although the damage to the air base appears relatively small, Maaø does not deny that it may have occurred as a result of direct collisions by ballistic missiles, which do not necessarily leave large craters. Israel’s air defense systems launch missiles to shoot down the Iranian missiles on October 1. Photo: Amir Cohen / Reuters – It doesn’t sound likely that anything other than a direct hit will cause much damage on a relatively robust runway, he says. The attack probably also shows one key thing, Maaø points out. Iran is not only capable of penetrating Israel’s defense systems, but they can also hit their targets. It thus shows that Iran has the ability to hit targets in Israel with its missiles. In addition to attacks against the Nevatim base, the missiles were also fired at another air base and the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv. The BBC has seen how the attack led to damage in the surrounding area. A man walks past destroyed houses in Hod Hasharon on October 2. One Palestinian man was killed in Iran’s missile attack on Israel on 1 October. Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP Israel has not claimed that the missiles were aimed at civilian targets. But the authorities in the city of Hod Hasharon in central Israel say that the missile attack caused damage to several buildings, according to Haaretz. One Palestinian man from Gaza lost his life in the attack. He was in the city of Jericho in the Palestinian West Bank when he was hit by the remains of a missile. Israel has entered Lebanon, in what it calls a limited ground operation. What is the goal? Published 04.10.2024, at 21.51
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