It was yesterday evening (Monday) that a cloud of dust and panic enveloped the skies of the Bnei Brak border in Ramat Gan. Fragments of an Iranian Fateh-110 missile plummeted from the sky and hit the streets of the city, sowing destruction and fear.
The missile was launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon towards the center of the country, but was successfully intercepted by the David's Sling system. Despite the successful interception, large debris, including the heavy engine, found their way into the city, injuring five people.
This dramatic event highlights the missile danger hovering over Israel, and in particular the growing threat from Hezbollah. Over the years, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization has amassed an impressive arsenal of missiles, including the Fateh-110, a lethal ballistic missile with a range of up to 300 kilometers.
The Fateh 110, developed by Iran, is considered a relatively accurate missile, powered by solid fuel and equipped with an integrated GPS guidance system. The missile, which weighs about 3.5 tons, is capable of carrying a warhead weighing almost half a ton.
Hezbollah, learning and improving from combat to fighting, has developed sophisticated methods for concealing its missile arsenal. With the help of Iran and North Korea, huge tunnels were dug in Lebanon, a complex underground network designed to hide the missiles and launchers from the penetrating eyes of Israeli intelligence systems.
Launching from these tunnels makes it difficult to identify the missiles before they are launched, and gives Hezbollah a significant tactical advantage.
* Kikar Shabbat contributed to this article.
