Why is Israel covering up reports of damage to military installations as a result of Iranian attacks?

GAZA – After Iran they launched a wave of ballistic missiles at Israel, with video footage showing many of them hitting their targets. Israel closed several military ranges and banned the publication of reports on the location of missiles that hit the ground.

Israeli censorship makes it difficult to assess the full damage of the Iranian attack, with the US and Israel sending mixed messages about the scale and impact of Tehran’s attack.

Why is Israel covering up reports of damage to military installations as a result of Iranian attacks?

1. Covering the damage due to the impact of the Iranian attack

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Israel’s initial assessment of the attack showed minor damage to the military base. The Iranian attack hit the Nevatim airbase in the Negev Desert, where Israel has stationed several F-35 fighter jets. However, the Israeli military declined to share with the Journal the extent of the damage to the airport.

The military said it does not want to “give information to Iran” that could help Tehran understand the damage caused by its attacks.

A number of missiles were also found near the Dead Sea, near the site of Israel’s nuclear facilities. It was unclear whether the missiles were intercepted by Israel or the US, according to the report.

One bullet hit near a school in the town of Gedera, with pictures of the aftermath showing a large crack in the ground and extensive structural damage to nearby buildings.

2. There is a lot of video evidence showing that Iron Dome was installed

Israel said its military and a coalition of allies including the US and Britain captured most of the missiles. However, online video footage showed many missiles landing inside Israel and exploding without being caught by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

The attack left two people wounded inside Israel, and one Palestinian was killed by shrapnel in the West Bank town of Jericho.

3. The US joins in defending Israel

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a brief session with reporters on Tuesday that the Iranian attack was a major escalation by Tehran and also “ineffective”.

“In short, based on what we know now, this attack appears to have been overwhelmed and ineffective. The term ‘fog of war’ has been coined for such a situation. “This is certain,” he said, as reported. by Middle East Eye.

4. Iran says its missile attacks are effective

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement broadcast on state television that 90 percent of the missiles it launched hit their targets.

Iran said it launched the attack in response to Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, as well as the recent killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard chief Abbas Nilforoushan in southern Beirut.

5. Censorship has been carried out since the Gaza War

Israeli censorship of Iranian attacks is nothing new, and the Israeli government has stepped up its censorship during the ongoing war in Gaza, which began in October 2023 after a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel.

A report by +972 Magazine found that in 2023, the Israeli military banned 613 articles from being published by media outlets in Israel. The number is a record for the magazine, which began tracking censorship in 2011.

The magazine also found that an additional 2,703 articles were edited, which was the most number of edits since 2014, the year Israel also launched a war against Gaza.

(ahem)