Dimona [Heb.,=wasting], town (1994 pop. 30,400), S Israel, in the Negev Desert. It is the seat of the Negev Nuclear Research Center. Mining and the production of textiles, chemicals, and processed minerals are also important. A development town, it was founded in 1955 and named for ancient Dimonah, which was located nearby. Because of its capacity as a site for nuclear weapons, Dimona was a target of Iraqi missiles in the Persian Gulf War.