Destruction and Despair: A Cluster Bomb Strike in Ramat Gan

Wed Mar 18 2026 18:19:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Recent Iranian cluster bomb strikes have created devastation in central Israel, marking a grim chapter in the ongoing conflict. Witness accounts reveal harrowing tales of survival and loss.

A recent airstrike involving Iranian cluster bombs resulted in the tragic deaths of an elderly couple in Ramat Gan, Israel. The attack exemplifies the intensifying conflict, raising concerns among residents about their safety as the use of such munitions becomes more common. Eyewitness accounts depict the destruction and emotional toll on those living in the affected areas.

It was late at night when an Iranian cluster bomb flew through the ceiling of an elderly couple's apartment in central Israel and exploded in their tiny living room, killing them both.

The path of the bomb was still clearly mapped onto the ash-covered debris left behind. A large hole in the ceiling of their top-floor apartment marked where it punched through, forcing broken concrete and metal rods inwards.

Shrapnel holes across the back walls showed the force of the explosion, which destroyed the front of the apartment - leaving it open to the street outside. Inside, a walking frame lay upended on the floor under the ash-covered furniture and rubble.

Witness Sigal Amir, who lives next door, recounted the harrowing moment: We heard three noisy interceptions, but on the fourth one, we knew it was our house. There was a massive boom and I felt a pain in my ear from the blast. The neighbours live five metres from us – their door was blown off and their house was full of dust like snow.

The couple had not been in the shelter when the bomb hit as one of them had mobility issues, highlighting the immense vulnerability of those affected by such attacks.

Despite Israel's sophisticated air defenses, the rising use of cluster munitions presents a daunting challenge. You can see the entry point of the rocket that flew all the way from Iran in a huge missile, and broke into dozens of pieces, explained Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani during a visit to the site. We had dozens of impact points like this in central Israel. Each carried 20 to 80 munitions, which were very difficult to stop.

As the conflict continues, the psychological toll on residents is palpable. Sigal expressed her fears while in a safe room as alarms sounded: To be honest, in the last days I'm losing hope a little bit. I feel there's no end to it, there's no direction, we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. We must endure this, but I'm not sure how long it will take, or where we are going from here. The conflict looms large over daily life in Israel, raising urgent questions of both survival and resolution in a war that has already seen significant loss on both sides.