Hamas Claims to have Hit Tel Nof Air Force Base with Missile

Israel's major daily Haartz is running this as their lead story right now. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it. Tel Nof is one of Israel's largest air force bases and home to it's most advanced squadrons. If Hamas' claim is true, that would be stark evidence that the missiles coming out of Gaza are not only an intolerable threat to the daily lives of civilians within range, but a strategic threat to the country itself. If Tel Nof is in range, so is Hatzor and Hatzerim. Every Israeli understands the implication.

Tel Nof Israeli Air Force Base (ICAO: LLEK), also known as Air Force Base 8 is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force and is located near Rehovot, Israel. Tel Nof was originally called RAF Aqir, which was the main Royal Air Force base in Palestine. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, it was given the name Ekron Airbase. Today Tel Nof houses several fighter and helicopter squadrons. Several special units of the Israel Defense Forces are also located there, including Unit 669, Airborne Combat Search and Rescue, and the training center for paratroopers. The IAF flight academy was at Tel Nof until April 1966 when it was moved to Khatserim IAFB.

It has been alleged that Israeli nuclear weapons are stored in or around the Tel Nof Airbase. In addition, fighter aircraft capable of delivering these nuclear payloads may have been on 24-hour alert there for the past 30 years.