A fragment from a ballistic missile launched by Iran struck a chemical plant in southern Israel on Sunday amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Israeli pesticide maker ADAMA confirmed that its Makhteshim plant in the Neot Hovav industrial zone was struck. ADAMA, part of the Chinese-owned Syngenta Group, added that the extent of the damage to the plant was not immediately clear.
According to the IDF, no injuries were reported, but the strike sparked a blaze and raised concerns about a hazardous chemical leak.
שברי יירוט נפלו במפעל באזור נאות חובב בשל ירי מאיראן.
שימוש לפי סעיף 27א’ לחוק זכויות יוצרים pic.twitter.com/NLyVWfvk7j— הארץ חדשות (@haaretznewsvid) March 29, 2026
Smoke and flames were seen rising from the industrial zone, as 34 firefighting crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading. The fire service said the situation is now “under control,” and that crews were cooling hotspots to prevent reignition.
שיגור שביעי מאיראן לדרום הארץ: דיווחים על נפילה במפעל@pozailov1 pic.twitter.com/JMctce1VPm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 29, 2026
Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry declared there was no danger to the public. Minister Idit Silman said ministry professionals had conducted on-site measurements and monitoring and decided to open the roads and return activity to normal.
Neot Hovav is located about 13 kilometers (eight miles) from Beersheba, the largest city in southern Israel. It is home to several Israeli military bases.
Last weekend, Iranian missiles struck the southern cities of Arad and Dimona, injuring dozens in one of the worst attacks on Israeli soil since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began.
