A Homefront Command exercise simulating a massive meltdown of the Dimona nuclear reactor will take place on Tuesday. The Homefront Command, hoping to avoid a catastrophe such as befell Japan's Fukushima plant in March 2011, will conduct a drill simulating a radioactive leak from the nuclear facility in Dimona, followed by the subsequent evacuation of workers and residents in the area. Potential scenarios that could cause a leak include a missile strike on the reactor by Hezbollah, Syria or Hamas, or an earthquake that could destabilize the core and lead to a nuclear meltdown. This is the first time in seven years that Israel is conducting an exercise of this type. Defense Ministry officials and supervisors responsible for daily operation of the reactor in Dimona emphasized that the probability of anything going wrong at the plant remains very low.
