Jerusalem, 22 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Iranian missile fire struck Israel’s densely populated central region, injuring 15 people and spreading small explosive submunitions across parts of the Tel Aviv area during numerous barrages on Sunday.
Medics said the most seriously wounded was a 53-year-old man, while others sustained moderate and minor injuries. Seven casualties were taken to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, where staff reported that four people were in moderate condition.
Unlike standard warheads, the missile used in the afternoon attack released multiple smaller bomblets over a broad area, increasing the risk to civilians. Several buildings and roads were damaged. In Jaffa, one of the submunitions hit a residential structure, while a separate impact in Petah Tikva sparked a fire in a neighborhood. Authorities said those incidents did not result in severe injuries.
Sunday’s escalation followed a temporary overnight lull. Around 7 a.m., another missile believed to contain similar cluster munitions struck Central Israel, causing minor infrastructure damage but no casualties.
Throughout the morning, additional launches toward both central and southern Israel triggered warning sirens, sending large numbers of residents into shelters. Despite the scale of the alerts, four of the strikes caused no reported injuries or significant damage.
The latest wave came hours after major impacts in the southern cities of Dimona and Arad on Saturday evening, where missiles directly hit residential areas. Those attacks left hundreds wounded, many of whom remained hospitalized a day later.
At Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, doctors said five people injured in Dimona were still being treated, including a 12-year-old boy in serious condition who required surgery. Another 31 patients from the Arad strike, among them 18 children, were also hospitalized.
Preliminary findings from a military review indicated that many of those hurt in Saturday night’s strikes had not been inside designated protected areas when the missiles landed. The blasts, caused by heavy conventional warheads, damaged buildings even when the point of impact was nearby rather than direct.
Officials stressed that Israel’s extensive shelter system remains a critical safeguard. “People who were in protected spaces were largely unharmed,” the military said.
Speaking at the site of the Arad strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on residents to follow safety instructions without delay. “We don’t want to rely on miracles,” he said. “There were about ten minutes between the warning and the impact. That is enough time to reach shelter.”
According to Israel’s Health Ministry, more than 4,500 people have been treated for injuries since the conflict with Iran began on February 28. Fifteen civilians and foreign nationals have been Killed in missile attacks during that time. Another four Palestinian women were killed by cluster bombs in Hebron.