Israel & the United States at War with Iran: Day 23

March 22, 2026

Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel Office 

Below, please find a short, special update about the significant missile attacks on Israel over the weekend. 

• Day 23 of the US/ Israel War with Iran
• Major Iranian missile attacks cause widespread damage in Arad and Dimona in southern Israel, with more than 200 injured, 11 seriously
• One Israeli man was killed in a Hezbollah strike in northern Israel
• Missile debris falls in the center of the country, including on the Ayalon Freeway

See Jewish Federations’ Joint Security Guidance for Jewish Institutions Following Strikes on Iran.

Arad

• An Iranian ballistic missile, carrying a 1,000-pound warhead, struck a residential area in Arad late last night, causing extensive damage and leaving dozens of civilians injured.
• The missile landed between apartment buildings, ripping open facades, collapsing walls, and igniting fires in nearby structures. Nine residential buildings sustained heavy damage, with several deemed unsafe and at risk of collapse, prompting evacuations of residents from the immediate area.
• Hundreds of search and rescue team members from Magen David Adom, the IDF’s Home Front Command, Israel Police, and fire services operated at the site throughout the night, searching damaged buildings and vehicles for additional casualties.
• Medical officials reported that at least 115 people were injured, including several children. Nine of the wounded were listed in serious condition, while others suffered moderate to light injuries, as well as anxiety-related symptoms.
• Most of the injured were evacuated by dozens of ambulances to the nearest hospital, the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which is a 40-minute drive away. Soroka declared a “mass-casualty event” and operated at full emergency readiness through the night. Hospital officials said many of the injuries were caused by blast waves, shrapnel, and collapsing debris rather than direct impact.
• A small number of the injured were flown by helicopter to Sheba Hospital in the country’s center.
• Local officials said the damage in Arad was widespread, affecting numerous apartments, vehicles, and public buildings. Residents who were not in protected spaces at the time of the strike comprised the majority of those who were injured, and authorities noted that most who reached shelters in time were unharmed.
• Municipal teams began assessing structural damage and coordinating temporary housing for displaced families as emergency crews continued to secure the area. The Israeli military announced it had opened an investigation into the failure to intercept the missile, as recovery and damage assessments continued into the morning. According to Israeli media, two unsuccessful attempts were made to intercept the missile.
• Many locals said that the fact that nobody was killed in the strike was “miraculous.”
• Watch these comments on the site by the Chief of Staff of the Home Front Command, Brigadier General Elad Edri.
• Arad has a Partnership2Gether relationship with the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest (NJ). Federation staff in Israel are helping coordinate emergency responses to the strike.

Dimona

• A separate Iranian ballistic missile also struck the southern city of Dimona late last night, hitting a residential neighborhood and causing significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Dimona is around 30 miles away from Arad, requiring many rescue forces to split resources between the two cities.
• The missile impact led to the collapse or severe damage of several structures, with additional destruction caused by blast waves and flying debris across multiple sites in the city. Fire and rescue crews responded to numerous incidents, including fires sparked by the strike, as search teams worked to ensure no civilians were trapped in damaged homes.
• Medical officials reported that roughly 30 to 40 people were injured in Dimona, including at least one child in serious condition who suffered shrapnel wounds. Many of the injured were hurt by broken glass, falling debris, or while rushing to protected spaces after sirens sounded. Others were treated for anxiety-related symptoms.
• Like in Arad, the wounded in Dimona were also evacuated primarily to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, where hospital officials said the injuries were consistent with blast and fragmentation rather than a direct building strike.
• The Israeli military said air defense systems had engaged the missile but failed to intercept it, and an investigation was opened into the circumstances of the strike as damage assessments and recovery efforts continued.
• Iran said it was targeting Israel’s Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona, claiming the strikes were in retaliation for an alleged U.S. attack on Natanz, which the IDF denied.

Misgav Am

• An Israeli farmer, Ofer Moskowitz (61), was killed early this morning in the northern border community of Misgav Am in an apparent Hezbollah anti‑tank missile attack launched from Lebanon. The missile struck civilian vehicles inside the community, causing at least two cars to catch fire. Paramedics from Magen David Adom found the victim trapped inside a burning vehicle and were forced to pronounce him dead at the scene.
• The IDF said it had identified fire from Lebanese territory toward Misgav Am and opened an investigation into the incident. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the attack.
• Ofer Moskowitz was a longtime kibbutz resident, serving as an avocado farmer and also as a spokesperson for Misgav Am. Kibbutz members described him as a central and well‑known figure in the collective. Despite the ongoing risks, he had continued driving in the area as part of his work and responsibilities.

Central Israel

• Fifteen people were wounded—most lightly—in an Iranian missile strike on central Israel this morning. The ballistic missile carried a cluster bomb warhead, scattering bomblets across a wide area.
• The attack triggered air‑raid sirens across the greater Tel Aviv area and surrounding communities. Emergency services were dispatched to multiple reported impact and shrapnel sites as a precaution, while residents were instructed to remain in protected spaces during the alerts.
• Magen David Adom said there were no fatalities and no serious injuries reported in the strike. In several cases, individuals were treated at the scene for injuries sustained while running to shelters or for anxiety symptoms following the sirens.
• Interceptor debris from the attack fell on several major roads, including sections of the Ayalon Freeway (Israel’s busiest and most important highway), prompting temporary traffic disruptions as security forces cleared the area and ensured there was no further risk. The roadway was reopened after inspections were completed.

Post-Strikes

• As a result of the attacks, in-person schooling—which had resumed in certain areas of the country—has been canceled for the next two days.
• Following the strikes in Dimona and Arad, large‑scale civilian evacuations were carried out, with 475 residents from Dimona evacuated to a hotel at the Dead Sea and 679 people registered as lacking permanent housing. In Arad, approximately 90 residents were transported by bus to a hotel, an additional 142 people were approved for independent evacuation, and 182 members of the city’s Gur Hasidic community were scheduled to evacuate the following day. Representatives from local authorities were deployed to the hotels, and property tax officials were scheduled to arrive in Dimona to begin damage assessments.
• Of the nearly 500 launches toward Israel over 23 days of war, only six have resulted in direct hits—an interception rate of roughly 99 percent. Most of the damage and injuries throughout this war have been caused by shrapnel rather than warheads.

Jewish Agency for Israel

• In Dimona, some of the Jewish Agency’s Youth Futures program’s families were directly affected by the strikes, with five participating families displaced. Among them, two children experienced acute distress, one mother and one child were seriously injured, and one child underwent overnight surgery; the mother succeeded in moving the children to a protected room but was unable to reach safety herself. Program mentors maintained direct contact with all affected families, providing initial emotional support and beginning needs assessments, with close coordination facilitated by Dimona Mayor Benny Biton, who also serves as chair of the Youth Futures program.
• Family and Volunteer Operations teams worked with local municipalities to assess residential damage and immediate needs, with preliminary estimates indicating hundreds of apartments affected and full damage lists expected within several days. Plans were made to distribute emergency grants to injured residents at Soroka Medical Center, and engineering assessments were anticipated for an Amigour residential property in Arad.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)

• Following the attacks in northern and southern Israel, JDC expanded its emergency response operations, including in Dimona and Arad. JDC delivered humanitarian assistance packages including clothing, diapers, rescue and medical equipment, and deployed community support services in both cities, including providing flexible emergency assistance funds. JDC caseworkers identified and supported seniors and people with disabilities affected by displacement, and within 12 hours of the attacks, essential supplies were delivered to hotels at the Dead Sea housing evacuees.
• In Dimona, emergency equipment provided by JDC-GRID was used by Or Movement–trained volunteer teams (see below) during the initial response to the incident. Rescue kits, medic bags, loudspeakers, stretchers, and first‑aid kits were used for evacuations, crowd management, and initial medical care, with moderate and severe casualties subsequently transferred to Magen David Adom treatment.

Or Movement

• Jewish Federations-supported Or Movement is an Israeli nonprofit that works to strengthen and develop communities in the Negev and Galilee through population growth, local leadership development, and partnerships with government and local authorities. The organization focuses on building sustainable communities by supporting relocation, emergency preparedness, community infrastructure, and long‑term regional resilience initiatives.
• In Dimona overnight, Or Movement–trained emergency volunteer teams led the initial civilian response following the missile strike. Teams trained through Or arrived first on scene, began rescue and extraction of injured and trapped residents, and operated for approximately 30 minutes before IDF and MDA forces arrived. Using rescue, medical, and evacuation equipment provided through Federation partner allocations, the teams supported treatment of approximately 50 casualties, assisted with evacuating elderly residents from damaged buildings, managed crowd control, and established a forward assistance center and a community support hub serving residents displaced from dozens of damaged apartments.

Jewish Federations continue to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.