Israeli army acknowledges damage to Ramat David airbase after Iranian missile attack

The Israeli army acknowledged Wednesday that the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel sustained “minor” damage after coming under Iranian missile fire earlier this week.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said the army confirmed damage to an equipment warehouse at the base after debris from an Iranian missile fell inside the facility.

The broadcaster quoted an unnamed military source who said missile fragments “caused dust to spread inside a nearby warehouse and around a forklift,” and that the damage was considered “minimal.”

The acknowledgment came two days after Iran launched missile barrages toward northern and central Israel in response to an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The strike on Beirut was part of Israel’s escalating military aggression in Lebanon despite a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and was extended by Washington through early July, amid efforts to prevent its collapse.

The Israeli army’s confirmation followed the publication of a satellite image that appeared to show damage to the airbase.

KAN reported Tuesday that “a satellite image taken Monday showed a dark spot at Ramat David Airbase that could indicate the facility had been hit during the Iranian missile attack two days earlier.”

On Sunday, however, the Israeli army claimed it had intercepted all missiles launched from Iran.

The Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a low-resolution satellite image taken Monday and compared with imagery from June 5 showed a visible mark at the hangar site.

The newspaper noted that the Ramat David Airbase, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Lebanese border, hosts five squadrons, including F-16 fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles, and has frequently been within the range of Hezbollah attacks.

It added that Hezbollah published drone footage of the base in 2024, showing aircraft fuel tanks, the headquarters of the 109th Squadron, an Iron Dome battery, ammunition depots, the headquarters of the 157th Squadron, aircraft shelters and the headquarters of the 105th Squadron.

The report said Hezbollah released additional images showing the office of the base commander, as well as warehouses, the headquarters of the 101st and 160th squadrons and the technical area of the 193rd Squadron.

The footage also allegedly included officers’ residential quarters, suspected F-16 shelters, the control tower, Apache helicopters, fuel storage facilities and Hercules transport aircraft.

Israeli military censorship imposes strict restrictions on publishing information related to Iranian missile attacks, including the number of missiles launched and the locations where they landed.

KAN operates under military censorship, indicating that the authorities approved publication of the report.

Against the backdrop of the conflict with Iran, Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive in Lebanon since March 2. According to official Lebanese figures, the attacks have killed 3,696 people and wounded 11,413 as of Wednesday, while displacing more than 1 million people.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul