TEL AVIV: An explosion has occurred near an Israeli defense company, sending flames visible for miles.
According to Hebrew media, the explosion took place in the Beit Shemesh area west of occupied Jerusalem, and the army has also banned the entry of emergency vehicles.
תיעוד: תושבים באזור בית שמש דיווחו על פיצוץ עז ואש שנראית מרחוק. מראה קצת אפוקליפטי.
מסתבר שמדובר בפיצוץ מבוקר שנעשה בתוך מפעל אזרחי. אין נזק או נפגעים. אפשר להרגע. pic.twitter.com/Xv3qVEFP8Y
— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) May 16, 2026
It is being said that the explosion took place in a sensitive facility. According to some reports, the factory manufactures heavy and light rocket engines, including Arrow 2, Arrow 3, Silver Anchor rocket engines, and engines for the Barak 8 and Barak MX missiles.
According to Russian media, the cause of the explosion was not known and there was no information about possible casualties.
According to some reports, Israeli authorities claim that it was a controlled explosion of explosives, but the lack of prior notification to nearby areas has raised many questions.
