by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel is expanding and upgrading its secretive Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona, raising new questions about the country’s widely believed status as the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state, according to an in-depth Associated Press report released Wednesday.
Satellite images analyzed by nuclear experts show the construction of a large new building at the site. Some specialists suggest it could be a new heavy-water reactor capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons, while others believe it may be an assembly facility for warheads. The secrecy surrounding the site makes confirmation impossible.
“The work at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center will renew questions about Israel’s nuclear arsenal,” AP wrote, noting the timing follows Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June, including Tehran’s heavy-water reactor at Arak.
Expert Divisions Over Purpose
Seven nuclear experts consulted by AP agreed the construction is linked to Israel’s weapons program due to its proximity to the Dimona reactor, which has no civilian energy role. Three argued the evidence points strongly to a new heavy-water reactor, while four others said it could also be an assembly site for nuclear arms, given its early stage of construction.
“It’s very hard to imagine it being something else,” said Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “That judgment is circumstantial, but that’s the nature of these things.”
Israel has never confirmed or denied possessing nuclear weapons and did not respond to AP’s requests for comment. The White House also remained silent.
Years of Work Underway
Excavations at Dimona were first reported in 2021, when satellite images showed a massive pit being dug near the aging reactor, operational since the 1960s. New images taken in July 2025 reveal intensified building, with cranes, thick concrete walls, and several underground levels.
Experts noted the absence of a containment dome, typical for heavy-water reactors, though such a structure could still be added. Others speculated the facility might be designed to produce tritium, a short-lived isotope that boosts the explosive yield of nuclear weapons and requires continual replenishment.
“If this is a heavy-water reactor, they are preserving the ability to produce plutonium for more weapons,” said Daryl G. Kimball of the Arms Control Association.
Nuclear Ambiguity Policy
Israel’s policy of “nuclear ambiguity” dates back to the late 1950s, when the Dimona site was first developed. While Israel is widely believed to hold around 90 nuclear warheads, according to a 2022 estimate by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the exact size of its arsenal remains unknown.
Israel is one of only four nations not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, leaving the International Atomic Energy Agency unable to inspect Dimona. The IAEA reiterated Wednesday that Israel is not obligated to provide information beyond its small, civilian Soreq reactor.
While some analysts stress the project may reflect maintenance or replacement needs for Israel’s decades-old reactor, others warn it could signal a long-term commitment to sustaining and possibly modernizing its nuclear arsenal.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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