Three people were injured on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) after fragments of an Iranian ballistic missile fell on a Bedouin community not recognized by the State, in the Negev desert, southern Israel
According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, a man in his 40s-a doctor at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva-was seriously injured in the leg after the shrapnel exploded.
A 26-year-old woman and a two-month-old baby suffered minor injuries.
The doctor had just returned from his shift when he was hit.
He was admitted to the hospital’s trauma center, while the baby received emergency care.
His wife suffered very minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.
The Israeli army reported that the Iranian missile fired at the region was intercepted by air defenses, and the fragments that fell were responsible for the injuries.
The incident occurred in the village of Alsira.
Earlier that same day, another missile fragment struck a house in the unrecognized village of Tel Arad, causing significant material damage.
Fortunately, the family was inside a safe room-one of the few in the village-and no one was injured.
Most of the approximately 35 unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev, home to roughly 130,000 residents, lack public bomb shelters and protected rooms in their homes.
Therefore, their inhabitants are especially vulnerable during attacks.
A resident of Tel Arad, Jihad Amor, reported feeling “total fear” upon hearing the impact around 6:00 AM.
He criticized the lack of assistance: “When we call the police, the Home Front Command, or the regional council, nobody answers.
Nobody pays attention to us.
They don’t see us as people, but as animals.”
Israeli Arab organizations and political parties, such as Hadash-Ta’al and Abraham Initiatives, have accused the government of negligence and discrimination.
They claim that the lack of protection for these communities reflects a policy of abandonment and demand the urgent creation of an emergency defense plan for the Bedouin population.
Since the beginning of the current wave of Iranian ballistic missile attacks against Israel on February 28, 15 Israeli and foreign civilians have died on Israeli territory as a result of these missiles.
Published in 03/25/2026 07h07
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article: