‘The country is keeping watch’: Israel sends a warning message to its enemies with Ofek 19 launch

Israel has underlined its determination to retain the strategic edge it enjoys in the Middle East by successfully launching the Ofek 19 spy satellite into orbit, while new satellite images revealed extensive construction at its Dimona nuclear site. Both moves reflect Jerusalem’s efforts to strengthen its intelligence and defence capabilities in a region marked by persistent conflict and shifting alliances.

The satellite launch took place on September 2 at Palmachim Airbase, south of Tel Aviv, and was described by Defence Minister Israel Katz as an achievement of the “highest global level”. Katz called it a message to Israel’s enemies that the country is keeping watch “at all times and in every situation”. President Isaac Herzog said the launch demonstrated Israel’s growing status as a “Space Nation”, relying on advanced technology to bolster national security.

The Ofek 19 is equipped with synthetic aperture radar, allowing it to capture high resolution images of the ground regardless of weather or lighting conditions. It can identify objects as small as half a metre across and is designed to monitor multiple locations across the region at once. During Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s short conflict with Iran earlier this year, similar satellites captured more than 12,000 images of Iranian sites in under two weeks. Boaz Levy, chief executive of Israel Aerospace Industries, which developed both the satellite and its launcher, said such capabilities were vital for maintaining superiority in the air and on the ground.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the current situation as a “seven front war”, referring to operations in Gaza alongside attacks on groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The Ofek 19 expands Israel’s reconnaissance network at a time of constant missile threats and regional clashes. Data from the satellite will be managed by the army’s Unit 9900, which specialises in visual intelligence.

The launch caused confusion among some residents of Tel Aviv and central Israel who mistook the rocket’s trail for an interceptor missile. The incident reflected the tense atmosphere after nearly two years of fighting in Gaza and regular missile strikes since October 2023. Officials confirmed that Ofek 19 reached orbit successfully and had already begun transmitting data during its initial testing phase.

At the same time, new satellite photographs showed large-scale construction at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre near Dimona. Built in the late 1950s, the site has long been linked to Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons programme. Israel has never confirmed or denied having nuclear weapons and maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity. It is one of only four nuclear armed states not to have signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency has no authority to inspect Dimona.

The new images reveal an underground complex with several floors and thick concrete walls. Analysts agree that the construction is almost certainly connected to Israel’s nuclear effort, although they differ on the precise purpose. Some suggest the scale and design point to a heavy water reactor capable of producing plutonium and tritium, both essential for nuclear warheads. Others argue it could be intended for assembling weapons. Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies said it was “very hard to imagine it is anything else” but a reactor.

The existing reactor at Dimona has been operating since the 1960s, far beyond the expected lifespan of facilities from that era. Observers believe the new work is most likely aimed at replacing or upgrading it. The timing is significant, as reports earlier this year suggested Israel and the United States had struck Iranian nuclear facilities, including the heavy water reactor at Arak.

The Ofek 19 provides immediate surveillance advantages, allowing the military to track movements, direct strikes and monitor adversaries in real time. The nuclear site, by contrast, represents a long term commitment to deterrence, whether through renewed production of fissile material or through facilities whose purpose remains concealed.

The two projects send a clear signal at a time of heightened regional instability. Hezbollah continues to fire rockets from Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen have launched long range missiles towards Israel, and clashes in Gaza have not abated after almost two years of war.

From Israel’s perspective, the path appears clear. The Ofek 19 demonstrates that it can watch its neighbours continuously and with unprecedented detail. The expansion at Dimona signals that it intends to maintain a nuclear capability regardless of outside pressure. Together they form part of a broader strategy to project technological and strategic dominance in one of the world’s most volatile regions.