Just after 2:00 a.m., sirens wailed across the Tel Aviv region as early‑warning radars picked up an unusually fast, high‑altitude launch from western Iran. Arrow and David’s Sling interceptors scrambled to lock on, but Israeli officials admit the Fattah’s violent terminal manoeuvres forced “split‑second decisions” inside command bunkers.

Seconds later, a massive blast rocked an area adjoining Ben Gurion International Airport, blowing out windows in nearby hotels and industrial buildings and gouging a huge crater in a peripheral service zone used for fuel trucks and maintenance sheds. Flights were halted, runways swept for debris and inbound air traffic diverted to alternative fields as fire crews battled flames visible from the main terminal.