Hamas rocket likely hit Israeli nuclear weapons base: Report

A rocket fired by Hamas likely hit an Israel military base where many of the country’s nuclear-capable missiles are based, according to a report by The New York Times.

According to a New York Times’ visual investigation, the Hamas rocket struck Sdot Micha base in central Israel, sparking a fire that spread close to missile storage facilities and other sensitive weaponry.

The strike on the base occurred over several hours on 7 October during Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, with the intensity of the barrage overwhelming Israel’s Iron Dome Defence system.

The report is likely to intensify concerns about the risk of regional escalation, as Washington and Arab states work to contain the fighting in Gaza. Since Israel launched its invasion of the Strip, Hamas’s rocket strikes have decreased.

Military strikes on bases containing nuclear weapons are exceptionally rare, given the catastrophic risk they could pose to civilians on both sides of any conflict. According to a database kept by the University of Maryland, there have been only five known strikes on bases containing nuclear weapons in history. 

Sdot Micha base is clearly visible on publicly accessible satellite imagery, but it's unclear whether Hamas knew the military base likely contained nuclear weapons. 

The Hamas strike caused a fire that took Israeli firefighters deploying aircraft hours to contain. The fire approached within 1,000 feet of the Jericho missile facility where declassified US government documents say missiles are equipped to carry nuclear warheads.

Israel has never officially acknowledged having nuclear weapons, but it is widely believed to have at least a limited amount of nuclear missiles, according to leaked documents.