Israeli medics confront new battlefield: Cluster warheads

Israeli medics say cluster warheads on Iranian missiles are reshaping the battlefield, forcing Magen David Adom to divide personnel and equipment across multiple incident sites within a single strike.

“"One such missile will give us scenes that will go, in Israeli terms, throughout three or four different cities”

The Jerusalem Post

Rafalowski notes that Israel has been living in a wartime state for about two and a half years since October 7, and the current escalation adds a new wave of violence.

The Jerusalem Post

More than half of missiles now carry warheads that disperse multiple smaller bombs over a wide area, with each missile capable of creating 10–12 separate scenes across roughly 10 kilometers.

The response is complicated by bomblets that may detonate later, turning impact zones into unpredictable danger zones for responders.

Simmy Allen of United Hatzalah says cluster missiles require emergency responders to rethink how they approach impact zones, reflecting a broader change in threats faced by medics nationwide.

Rafalowski cites a northern Israel incident near Safed in which a missile engine released nitric acid fumes, creating a hazmat situation that requires fast identification and coordination with fire and police to contain the threat and treat civilians.

He says the fuel used in these missiles is highly toxic, adding to the hazard.

The Jerusalem Post

Public awareness about these dangers remains limited, and there have been incidents of civilians handling debris that caused injuries.

Hospitals have treated more than 3,000 people since the escalation began, with the Healthy Ministry reporting 3,079 treated and 16 killed.

“"One such missile will give us scenes that will go, in Israeli terms, throughout three or four different cities”

The Jerusalem Post

Some deaths came from direct missile impacts, while others resulted from indirect causes such as elderly men injured while seeking shelter or car accidents during alerts.

Nineteen were classified as severely injured and 71 as moderately injured, with many others treated for minor injuries or anxiety reactions.

The pattern is attributed to public discipline in following civil defense guidelines, which responders say have saved lives, even as the psychological toll grows and emergency teams expand mental health support services.

MDA operates with approximately 4,000 staff members and more than 30,000 volunteers across Israel, forming one of the largest volunteer emergency networks in the world.

United Hatzalah volunteers are operating under these conditions across the country, including northern communities facing additional threats from rockets fired from Lebanon, where there is no warning and a boom can precede the siren.

The Jerusalem Post

Many families now sleep in safe rooms to protect themselves, and communities frequently support each other in shelters.

Public adherence to Home Front Command safety guidelines has helped prevent a larger humanitarian disaster, and responders note the Psychotrauma and Crisis Unit has expanded to address rising anxiety among civilians.