Intensified building work at suspected Israeli nuclear facility

In the heart of the Negev Desert, construction work has intensified at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona, Israel. This development, as reported by the Associated Press in 2021, has renewed questions about Israel's status as the Mideast's only nuclear-armed state.

Satellite images from July 5 show thick concrete retaining walls, multiple floors underground, and cranes overhead at the site. Seven experts who analysed these images concluded that the construction is likely related to Israel's nuclear weapons program. Three experts believe the construction is most likely the construction of a new heavy water reactor, while four suggest it could be related to a new facility for assembling nuclear weapons.

However, there's no containment dome or other features typically associated with a heavy water reactor currently visible at the site. This has led some to speculate that the new construction could be a new reactor or a facility to assemble nuclear arms.

Israel's nuclear weapons program is believed to rely on a heavy water reactor for the production of plutonium and tritium. Tritium, a byproduct of the process, can boost the explosive yield of warheads. Obtaining more tritium to replace decaying material may be the reason for the construction at Dimona.

The new construction comes amidst heightened international scrutiny of Israel's nuclear capabilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has no right to conduct inspections of Dimona due to Israel not being a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The White House, which is Israel's staunchest ally, also did not respond to requests for comment.

Israel has a policy of nuclear ambiguity, which is thought to have helped deter its enemies. The country is among nine countries confirmed or believed to have atomic weapons and among just four that have never joined the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The number of nuclear weapons Israel is believed to possess is difficult to estimate due to the secrecy of its program, with some estimates putting it at around 90 warheads.

The construction at Dimona also comes after Israel and the United States bombed nuclear sites across Iran in June over concerns about Iran's potential pursuit of an atomic weapon. Among the sites attacked was Iran's heavy water reactor at Arak.

A whistleblower in the 1980s released details and photos of the facility that led experts to conclude that Israel had produced dozens of nuclear warheads. The person leading the new construction project at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center is not publicly disclosed.

Israel began building the nuclear site in the desert in the late 1950s after facing several wars with its Arab neighbours. The current heavy water reactor, which came online in the 1960s, has been operating for a long time and may need to be replaced or retrofitted soon. Israel does not confirm or deny having atomic weapons and did not respond to requests for comment.