Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 16, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Defense firm says large explosion near Beit Shemesh was part of ‘pre-planned experiment’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A large blast was heard near the Jerusalem-area city of Beit Shemesh this evening, at a testing ground belonging to the state-owned Tomer defense firm.
In a statement, Tomer — which develops engines for rockets and missiles — says that the blast was “a pre-planned experiment that was carried out according to plan.”
תיעוד: תושבים באזור בית שמש דיווחו על פיצוץ עז ואש שנראית מרחוק. מראה קצת אפוקליפטי.
מסתבר שמדובר בפיצוץ מבוקר שנעשה בתוך מפעל אזרחי. אין נזק או נפגעים. אפשר להרגע. pic.twitter.com/Xv3qVEFP8Y
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) May 16, 2026
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