Nazis launching missiles at hospitals, the elderly and children – if they had atomic weapons, they would fire them without a second thought. This is the most just campaign that Israel has ever embarked on in history. I embrace the citizens of Israel, and strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister and my cabinet colleagues these days. We are all united – to eliminate this threat once and for all, until the end and until complete victory! Am Yisrael Chai

נאצים שמשגרים טילים על בתי חולים, על קשישים ועל ילדים – לו היה בידיהם נשק אטומי, הם היו יורים אותו בלי לחשוב אפילו שנייה לפני. זו המערכה הכי צודקת שישראל יצאה אליה בהיסטוריה. אני מחבק את אזרחי ישראל, ומחזק את ידי ראש הממשלה וחבריי לקבינט בימים אלו. כולנו מאוחדים – להסרת האיום הזה אחת ולתמיד, עד הסוף ועד הניצחון המוחלט! עם ישראל חי

A baby in intensive care. A mother by their bedside. A doctor rushing between beds. An elderly resident in a nursing home. These were some of the targets of Iran’s missile attacks on Israeli civilians this morning. Soroka Hospital, located in Be’er Sheva, is one of Israel’s finest—serving the entire Negev region, caring for Israelis of all faiths and our nieghbors the Palestinians who come especially to be treated there. Its devoted staff—Jews and Arabs—work side by side in extraordinary harmony, united by the mission to heal. I send strength and support to the medical teams, to the patients, and to the residents of Be’er Sheva and all cities attacked across Israel this morning. In moments like these, we are reminded of what’s truly at stake, and the values we are defending.

Is the government spending £120bn more on infrastructure than the Conservatives planned?published at 14:41 British Summer Timepublished at 15:41Ben ChuBBC Verify policy and analysis correspondent Image source, House of CommonsUnveiling the government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones told the House of Commons that Labour is investing an additional £120bn over this Parliament compared with the plans set out by the Conservatives at Spring Budget 2024.We can check this by looking at the spreadsheet produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), external, the government's official forecaster, showing infrastructure spending plans at each fiscal event.The OBR’s latest forecast in the five years to 2029-30 shows cumulative planned infrastructure spending of £605bn.For Jeremy Hunt’s final budget for the Conservatives in March 2024, the OBR records cumulative planned capital spending in the four years to 2028-29 of £392bn.But the OBR does not record a forecast for 2029-30, as this was beyond the forecast period at the time of the March 2024 budget.Comparing the four years to 2028-29, the new government has allocated an additional £87bn compared with what the previous administration planned.It’s possible to get close to the government’s estimate of £120bn extra capital spending relative to the last government by assuming that the Conservative would have kept capital spending frozen in cash terms in 2029-30 and comparing the five years.But this is based on an assumption, not the previous government’s actual plans as recorded by the OBR. Verifying images from the Israeli hospitalpublished at 13:44 British Summer Timepublished at 14:44Richard Irvine-BrownBBC Verify journalist Since first thing this morning we’ve been authenticating footage and images showing the aftermath at a hospital damaged by an Iranian missile in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.Israel says the hospital took a direct hit from the missile, while Iran says its target was a nearby military site and that the hospital was affected by a “blast wave”. As usual we reverse image-searched the photos to check they hadn’t been posted online at an earlier date. We did not find any matches when we ran checks on all three of them below.The first verified image you can see was taken from a video showing smoke billowing from the roof of the hospital. We confirmed this image using reverse search and weather analysis.The next image shows the damage inside the hospital, which we matched to historic images of the hospital’s interior we found on Facebook.The bottom one shows people evacuating the hospital following the strike. We identified the location by matching the distinctive purple, white and yellow flower acrylics on the wall with images of the hospital’s interior on Google Maps. New record low for planning permissionpublished at 12:57 British Summer Timepublished at 13:57Daniel WainwrightBBC Verify Another story being followed by BBC Verify today is the latest data on planning permission for housing in England - which has fallen to another record low.There were 7,027 permissions for housing granted by local authorities between January and March. This is down more than 10% on the same months in 2024 (7,870). Each permission granted can refer to anything from a single home to a large housing development.However, the proportion of housing applications refused is at its lowest since 2013 with 23.5% turned down. A year earlier, it was 30%.Data published by the government, external shows the number of individual homes granted permission in the year ending March 2025 also fell below one million for the first time since 2015.Not all homes granted permission actually get built.Planning permission is one of the earliest indicators of whether housebuilding in England can ramp up enough to deliver the 1.5 million homes the Labour manifesto promised by the end of this Parliament.And the overall number of planning applications received by councils in general was up 6% in a year - although this is not broken down into homes and other types of use.You can see the figures for your area in our interactive housing tracker.Image source, 2025 Internet restrictions remain, but some Iranians turn to Starlinkpublished at 12:14 British Summer Timepublished at 13:14Matt MurphyBBC Verify senior journalist Image source, NetblocksIran’s communications ministry announced yesterday that it had restricted internet access across the country, alleging that Israel had been using the "communication network for military purposes". Analysts at the internet monitoring organisation Netblocks said that the near complete blackout has continued on Thursday morning, with restrictions on access now approaching 20 hours.Isik Mater, Netblocks' director of research, told BBC Verify that a limited amount of access has been maintained, but said it was unclear who was able to use it.Mater also said that the group has had contact with some internet users in Iran who have been evading restrictions by using Starlink - the satellite technology company controlled by Elon Musk.Starlink provides internet services via a network of satellites, allowing subscribers to bypass restrictions on domestic networks. However, users need to have access to a dish - or terminal - to connect to the satellite array.While Tehran has formally banned Starlink terminals, analysts have estimated that thousands of units may have been smuggled into the country by Iranian citizens in recent years. Assessing the damage at hospital in Israel after Iranian missile blastpublished at 11:44 British Summer Timepublished at 12:44Jake HortonBBC Verify We’ve been assessing footage showing the aftermath of what the Israeli military says was an Iranian missile strike at a hospital in southern Israel this morning.Israel says the Soroka site was directly hit - but Iranian state media has reported that authorities there say military infrastructure next to it was struck and the hospital was damaged “by the blast wave”.We’ll be putting verified video and images of the aftermath to munitions experts and asking them to assess what happened.Our team has verified a video of the site’s exterior that shows smoke rising from the roof which appears to have partially collapsed.There are also images coming in from picture agencies and the BBC is deploying reporters to the scene who will be sending us more footage of the site.Once we have expert analysis of what exactly the damage tells us about the strike we’ll bring it to you. Verifying video of the damage to Tel Aviv by Iranian strikespublished at 11:14 British Summer Timepublished at 12:14Peter Mwai and Richard Irvine-BrownBBC Verify Image source, XAs well as images from Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in southern Israel, we’ve been looking at the moment of strikes and their aftermath in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, about 60 miles (100km) to the north.One video shows multiple trails and explosions over the very identifiable skyline of the city before smoke rises from an impact among the skyscrapers.Other videos, filmed at street level and a residential balcony, show the degree of damage to several buildings on Zeev Jabotinksy Street, including the Twin Towers.In every instance, the buildings we can see were matched to images already online to make sure of the location, and each video had frames reverse-searched - essentially asking Google to tell us every copy it has cached of videos with those frames - to make sure they are from this morning. Image source, X A visual guide to Iran’s secretive nuclear sitepublished at 09:54 British Summer Timepublished at 10:54 Image caption, A satellite image showing part of the Fordo facility visible above groundThe Fordo nuclear facility is an enrichment plant hidden away in a mountainside south of Tehran. Iran insists Fordo is for civilian purposes only but Israel says it threatens its survival. The site is vital to Iran’s nuclear ambitions - and Israel’s attempts to dismantle them. The plant is believed to be deeper underground than the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France. For this reason it’s remained out of reach of Israel’s weaponry and only the US is considered to have a bomb that might be powerful enough to destroy Fordo - a move that could dramatically widen a Middle East war.Our team has put together a visual guide of the secretive site, mapping its location in the mountains and what’s believed to be the layout inside the facility. You can scroll through the guide here. Verifying video from Israeli hospital damaged after Iranian missile strikepublished at 09:21 British Summer Timepublished at 10:21Kayleen DevlinBBC Verify senior journalist Image caption, This image - taken from a video we verified earlier - shows a large smoke cloud in the background with the hospital buildings in frontWe’ve been verifying videos posted on social media after the Israeli military said an Iranian missile hit the Soroka Hospital in the city of Beersheba earlier this morning.Israel says it was a direct hit on the hospital, but Iranian state media reported the main target was a nearby military site. It added that any damage to the hospital was caused by the blast wave. We’re working to verify that statement. We’ve authenticated videos uploaded from within the hospital which show smashed glass inside the building as well as fallen ceiling tiles and broken doors. We were able to match some of the design features seen in today’s footage with older images available online of the hospital interior. In one video posted this morning the interior decoration and shape of the walls matched an image taken from inside the medical complex in 2023.We’ll continue to verify videos that come in throughout the day. Work under way to gather and verify Israel hospital footagepublished at 09:02 British Summer Timepublished at 10:02Rob CorpBBC Verify Live editor Welcome to BBC Verify Live - our daily page bringing you updates on the work of the BBC's specialists in verification, fact-checking, tackling disinformation and data journalism.Since first reports began emerging that an Iranian missile had hit a hospital in southern Israel the team has been checking through online sources for verifiable information about the impact of the strike.Looking through what's been seen so far we know that the strike has caused extensive damage to the Soroka facility in Beersheba - so we'll be assessing the scale of the damage and which parts of the facility have been affected.The state-run Iranian national news agency has said the missile was aimed at a military complex near the hospital and any damage was the result of the blast wave. We will be working to check this claim.Despite a near-total internet blackout in Iran we'll also be looking into overnight attacks there by the Israeli Air Force which says it targeted elements of the country's nuclear programme.

"Early this morning, an Iranian ballistic missile directly hit the Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva. This hospital serves over one million Israelis, including Bedouins, Jews, Christians and Arabs alike...Iran targets civilians; we target an existential threat that endangers global security.” Watch IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin’s full remarks on the Iranian missile strike on Soroka Hospital:

"Early this morning, an Iranian ballistic missile directly hit the Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva. This hospital serves over one million Israelis, including Bedouins, Jews, Christians and Arabs alike...Iran targets civilians; we target an existential threat that endangers global security.” Watch IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin’s full remarks on the Iranian missile strike on Soroka Hospital:

BREAKING | New Iranian Missile Barrage Hits Multiple Sites Across Israel Iran has launched a fresh barrage of missiles targeting locations across Israel, with reported impacts in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other areas. Multiple hits have been confirmed, though the full extent of damage is still being assessed. One strike reportedly landed near Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, the largest hospital in southern Israel and the main medical facility for the Negev region. The hospital is also a teaching center affiliated with Ben-Gurion University. Updates are still developing. Video from the Soroka hospital shared on social media.

The only reason hundreds of Israeli civilians aren't dead right now is because Israel evacuated the hospital yesterday. This goes beyond nuclear programs. I think Israel now understands the regime in Iran has to be permanently removed from existence.

While Israel targets Iran’s nuclear and missile programs that threaten not only us but the whole world - Iran targets Israeli hospitals and children. While Israel targets with precision military & IRGC personnel - Iran targets Israeli civilians. There is no moral equivalence, and Israel will not waver in eliminating the capabilities of those who gleefully declare “Death to Israel, Death to America”.

While Israel targets Iran’s nuclear and missile programs that threaten not only us but the whole world - Iran targets Israeli hospitals and children. While Israel targets with precision military & IRGC personnel - Iran targets Israeli civilians. There is no moral equivalence, and Israel will not waver in eliminating the capabilities of those who gleefully declare “Death to Israel, Death to America”.

Soroka hospital , the largest one in Southern Israel, was just TARGETED (It's huge) with a ballistic missile. There are no excuses. We don't have army installations (except for wounded soldiers rehabilitation rooms) in hospitals. Iran shoots at the civilians. Iran targets hospitals. I want to hear now EVERYONE who said anything about the Al-ahli hospital in Gaza , everyone who condemned Israel for what was finally in truth a Hamas missile misfiri ng. Every single one. Counting.

UPDATE | New Footage Shows Moment Iranian Strike Hit Near Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva The facility serves as the main medical hub for the Negev region and treats Israeli civilians and military personnel, including soldiers wounded during operations in Gaza. Iranian strikes hit multiple locations across Israel in this wave.

Operational Update from Soroka Hospital by IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin:

150 Israelis were injured, six seriously, in the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile attack on Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and other civilian buildings.

MDA Spokesperson: Following the incident at a medical facility in southern Israel: MDA - Hatzolah Air helicopter evacuated an 86 year old woman with a cardiac event to a hospital in central Israel.

Today, I visited the site of the missile impact at Soroka Medical Center in my hometown, Be’er Sheva, following Iran’s deliberate and indiscriminate ballistic missile attack on Israel, one of which directly struck the hospital. At the scene, I met with the Knesset Speaker, H.E. @AmirOhana . Together, we stressed the severity of this war crime and the importance of confronting the Iranian regime, which shamelessly targets civilian infrastructure without morality or restraint.

The escalation of hostilities between #Israel and #Iran is putting health facilities and access to health care at risk. The reports on the attacks on health so far are appalling. This morning's attack on Soroka Medical Center in Israel -- the only major hospital in the south -- resulted in dozens of patients being injured, some severely; 250 patients being evacuated to other health facilities; and damage to the facility, leaving it only partially functional. Following an airstrike on Tehran three days ago, three Iranian Red Crescent Society health workers were killed while reportedly rescuing injured people. On the same day, a hospital in Kermanshah was impacted by a nearby explosion, causing damage to the intensive care unit. As a result, around 15 staff and patients were injured. We call on all parties to protect health facilities, health personnel and patients at all times. The best medicine is peace.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar in a Statement to the Foreign Media at Soroka Hospital: "This is clearly a war crime." FM Sa’ar said: "Behind me you can see the surgery building. It is a building in which every day, the medical team, the doctors, are making tremendous efforts to save human lives. This is exactly the place where the Iranian regime targeted - a civilian hospital. This is clearly a war crime. It reflects the Iranian regime's consistent strategy, they are deliberately targeting civilian population, civilian targets, civilians, children, elderly peopl. It is unacceptable. During the last hours, I received many phone calls from foreign ministers from around the world condemning this crime. But it's just an example. Because the Iranians are doing this time and again during the last days. We are attacking military objectives, nuclear program objectives, ballistic missile objectives. And they are specifically and deliberately targeting civilians. I want to strengthen the hospital, the management of the hospital, and the medical teams who continue to do the sacred work they are doing for everyone’s health. And I want to make it clear - this strategy won't work. We will continue with our operation in Iran. We have a very detailed plan. We know what we do. We will continue to hit nuclear objectives. We will continue to hit ballistic missile objectives. And we will not stop for even one minute before we complete the mission". Photo - Shlomi Amsalem, GPO

Soroka is Israel's main hospital to evacuate IDF troops It proudly displays this military helicopter poster with the caption “Israel’s Medical Iron Dome" By Israel's own rules of engagement in Gaza (bombing a hospital to kill a wounded journalist), Soroka is a legitimate target Insane, isn't it? Then why did you stay silent when Israel bombed every single hospital in Gaza?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Soroka Medical Center that was damaged due to missile fire from Iran: "We are hitting with precision the targets of the nuclear and missile programs, and they're hitting the children's ward of a hospital. That tells you everything"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "I am here at the Soroka Hospital in Be'er-Sheva, together with the Minister of Health, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, a resident of the South, and the director of the Soroka Hospital. We see the whole difference here.

This morning, the Soroka hospital in Beer Sheva was impacted by an airstrike. We are very concerned about the impacts on patients and medical providers.

A general view of Soroka Medical Center, the city's general hospital, at an impact site following a missile strike from Iran on Israel, in Beersheba, Israel, on Thursday. https://gulftoday.ae/news/2025/06/19/iranian-missile-hits-hospital-in-israel-as-air-war-enters-seventh-day…

#c4news Hit a hospital is bad PR but really, Israel screaming outrage is a joke. Soroka Medical Centre is used to treat IDF wounded by doctors who are IDF combatants themselves.

BREAKING: Soroka Medical Center, the largest hospital in southern Israel, has been struck amid ongoing regional conflict. The attack hit critical civilian infrastructure, raising urgent concerns for patients and medical staff. Tensions in the region continue to escalate. #IranVsIsrael #iranisraelwar

Overnight, the extremist Iranian regime bombed The Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. Soroka serves all communities in Israel's Negev region–Jews, Arabs, and Bedouins alike. It is not a military site. It is a hospital. Canada, and all democratic allies, must immediately and unequivocally condemn this barbaric act. To the people of Israel: you do not stand alone. We stand with you in strength, solidarity, and unwavering support. Am Yisrael Chai!

Videos from this morning report that Soroka University Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, Israel, was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile. The footage captures the moment of impact at the hospital.

#Iran – #Israel: Iran launched around 30 ballistic missiles towards Israel this morning. One of them struck the old surgical wing of Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, the largest hospital in southern Israel. Unconfirmed reports from several OSINT sources, along with Iranian statements, suggest the intended target may have been a "military medical facility" in or near the hospital's vicinity. However, Israeli officials state there are no military installations in the area and that the strike hit civilian infrastructure.

**Hospital Under Fire!** Iranian ballistic missile strikes Soroka Hospital—Israel's largest medical center in the south serving ALL faiths (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Bedouins). IDF vows: 'We'll protect EVERY citizen.' #WarCrime #IsraelUnderAttack #IranStrikes

ISTANBULIran denied on Thursday Israeli accusations of intentionally striking Soroka Hospital in southern Israel.“Our powerful Armed Forces accurately eliminated an Israeli Military Command, Control and Intelligence HQ and another vital target,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on his X account.He said the blast wave caused superficial damage to a small section of the nearby, and largely evacuated Soroka Military Hospital.“The facility is mainly used to treat Israeli soldiers engaged in the Genocide in Gaza 25 miles away, where Israel has destroyed or damaged 94% of Palestinian hospitals,” he added.Some 20-30 Iranian missiles targeted Israel’s central cities Thursday morning, including Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Holon, as well as Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba.More than 270 Israelis were injured in the attack, according to Israeli authorities.Iran’s state news agency IRNA claimed the missiles targeted the headquarters of the Israeli army and intelligence service near Soroka Hospital.The top Iranian diplomat accused Israel of initiating the current conflict.“It is the Israeli regime and not Iran that initiated all this bloodshed, and it is Israeli war criminals and not Iranians who are targeting hospitals and civilians,” he said.“Hundreds of innocent Iranians have been murdered in cold blood since Israel launched its illegal war against the Iranian people last week.”The Iranian minister called on Israelis to “heed our evacuation orders before strikes and to avoid proximity to military and intelligence sites.”He vowed that Iran’s forces would “continue to pummel the criminals who target our people until they cease and pay for their criminal aggression against our nation.”Hostilities began on Friday when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.Meanwhile, in Iran, 585 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to Iranian media reports. Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.

Soroka Medical Center healthworkers survey the aftermath of Thursday’s Iranian missile attack. The World Health Organization decried Thursday’s direct hit by Iran on one of Israel’s largest hospitals, Soroka Medical Center, which put the 1200-bed facility serving most of the country’s southern region largely out of operation.  In an X post, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also deplored the deaths of three Iranian Red Crescent Society health workers three days ago, following an Israeli airstrike on Tehran three days ago.  The Iranian missile packed with 400 kilograms of explosives destroyed a surgical wing on the sixth floor of the massive facility – sending a large plume of smoke up in the air.  “This morning’s attack on Soroka Medical Center in Israel — the only major hospital in the south — resulted in dozens of patients being injured, some severely; 250 patients being evacuated to other health facilities; and damage to the facility, leaving it only partially functional,” said the Director General in his post, early Thursday evening.  Some 40 people at the hospital were treated for largely minor injuries, thanks to the fact that patients and operations had already moved underground – including those in the affected wing only yesterday, Israeli authorities said.  But the widespread destruction at the sprawling complex, including collapsed walls, shattered windows, and hundreds of broken computers and medical devices, led to the evacuation of most patients from the hospital, which serves over one million people in Israel’s southern region, including the Negev community of 250,000 Bedouin citizens.    Israel protests WHO’s silence Soroka Medical Center at the time of Thursday’s Iranian missile attack. On Thursday afternoon, Israel’s Ambassador to Geneva, Daniel Meron, posted a video in front of the WHO headquarters, protesting the WHO’s silence over the attack that had happened around 6 a.m. Geneva time.   “Where is the condemnation of WHO?”  asked Meron. “It is not a military site. It is a civilian hospital…. and the Iranians are targeting time after time, civilian targets in Israel. I am waiting for a condemnation and the selective silence of WHO is deafening,” he said, an oblique reference to the many WHO statements calling out Israel’s  destruction of Gaza’s health facilities, during its grinding 20-month war on Hamas. When the WHO response came 12 hours later, the WHO Director General was careful to balance his comments, noting two attacks on health facilities experienced by Iran during the week-long Israeli assault on Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, as well as energy, telecom and oil infrastructure.   “Following an airstrike on Tehran three days ago, three Iranian Red Crescent Society health workers were killed while reportedly rescuing injured people,” Tedros added. “On the same day, a hospital in Kermanshah was impacted by a nearby explosion, causing damage to the intensive care unit. As a result, around 15 staff and patients were injured. “We call on all parties to protect health facilities, health personnel and patients at all times,” said Tedros, adding his signature slogan, “The best medicine is peace.” Israelis and Iranian civilians both caught up in the exchanges  Pride flag waves on one side and Israeli flag, on the other, of buildings hit by Iranian missile attack in central Israel Thursday. The war began with a surprise attack by Israel early Friday, 13 June, on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, with Israel saying that the Islamic Republic was on the verge of completing the development of a nuclear weapon. According to independent human rights observers, an estimated  639 Iranians have died so far in the conflict – the lower numbers published by the regime is only partial data, they say. Meanwhile, 24 Israelis have died in daily waves of Iranian missile attacks – from missile that evaded Israel’s “Iron Dome” air defense system.   Suburban Tehran building destroyed in Israeli airstrike on 13 June, the first day of attack on Iran. “The Islamic Republic has targeted residential areas in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and elsewhere. Casualties would be far higher if not for the high percentage of Islamic Republic attacks that have been intercepted by the Israeli Defense Forces, as well as the presence of an extensive system of shelters and warning sirens throughout Israel,” noted the New York City-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. The group called for an immediate cease-fire by both sides. Thursday’s early morning missile blast that hit Soroka hospital was part of the largest volleys to penetrate the countru’s defenses since the first day of the war. Explosives hit four other sites in the Tel Aviv area cities of Holon and Ramat Gan, destroying multi-story buildings, and leading to dozens of injuries, six seriously.  Some 35,000 homes in Israel have been damaged in the war so far, with 1000 more Israeli families displaced on Thursday from high-rises and neighborhoods that suffered the worst impacts of the half-ton Iranian missiles.  Meanwhile, dozens of Iranian residential buildings have suffered hits and hundreds of thousands of Iranians have fled the capital of Tehran, and other strategically-placed areas, following Israeli warnings to evacuate areas near key military and government assets.   Gazans languish in conflict and hunger Smoke rises up from Gaza City as the Israeli-Hamas conflict lingers on. While the world focuses on the Israel-Iran war, only a few dozen kilometers away from Soroka hospital, besieged Gaza continues to languish in the throes of the ongoing Israeli battle with Hamas forces, along with persistent food and fuel shortages. Some 53 Israeli hostages also remain in Hamas captivity, and time is running out for the estimated 20 still believed to be alive after more than 621 days living underground on meager rations and with minimal medical care, their families warn.  Gaza’s drinking water supplies are dangerously low, UNICEF’s James Elder warned in a press briefing on Friday, saying. “Currently just 40 per cent of drinking water production facilities remain functional in Gaza (87 out of 217). Without fuel, every one of these will stop operating within weeks. Since all the electricity to Gaza was cut after the horrific attacks of 7 Oct 2023, fuel became essential to produce, treat and distribute water to more than two million Palestinians. “If the current more than 100-day blockade on fuel coming into Gaza does not end, children will begin to die of thirst. Diseases are already advancing and chaos is tightening its grip.” Earlier this month, heavy Israeli attacks in southern Gaza forced two key hospitals,  Al Nasser and Al Amal, to curtail or halt most services, with Al Amal rendered largely accessible to new patients.  Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders to several neighborhoods in northern Gaza, while food distribution sites of the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) have seen continued chaos – and death. In the latest incident, on Tuesday, lethal Israeli fire allegedly killed several dozen people near food distribution points, according to eyewitness reports and Gaza’s Hamas health authorities.  GHF, meanwhile, accused Hamas of killing eight Palestinian aid workers last week in an ambush of a bus transporting some two dozen team workers.  In a statement on Wednesday, the UN Human Rights Office, OCHCR, called upon Israel to cease the use of lethal force around the GHF food distribution sites.  “We are horrified at the repeated incidents, continuously reported in recent days across Gaza, and we call for an immediate end to these senseless killings,” said the  OCHCR statement.  –Updated Friday 20.6.2025 Image Credits: Emmanual Fabian/Times of Israel, Emmanuel Fabian/Times of Israel , Israel Public Television, x/@DavidShoebridge, © UNOCHA/Olga Cherevko. Combat the infodemic in health information and support health policy reporting from the global South. Our growing network of journalists in Africa, Asia, Geneva and New York connect the dots between regional realities and the big global debates, with evidence-based, open access news and analysis. To make a personal or organisational contribution click here on PayPal.

TEHRAN - Sources have said that a key Israeli military intelligence center was the primary target of missile strike launched early Thursday morning from Iran.The missiles were aimed at the Israeli Defense Forces’ Command and Intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters, as well as a military intelligence facility located in the Gav-Yam Technology Park in Beersheba. The area is situated near Soroka Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in southern Israel. The sources acknowledged that the hospital sustained minor damage from the blast shockwave but emphasized that “the military infrastructure was a precise and direct target.” So far, there has been no official confirmation from Israeli authorities regarding the extent of the damage or the intended targets. More details are expected as the situation develops. AM

The Islamic Republic of Iran's mission to the United Nations categorically rejected the Zionist regime's false claim about targeting a hospital. New York, IRNA – The Islamic Republic of Iran's mission to the United Nations categorically rejected the Zionist regime's false claim about targeting a hospital. “Iran categorically rejects the Zionists' false claim about targeting a hospital,” the mission said. The Islamic Republic of Iran's mission to the United Nations stated that the self-defense measures by Iran are precise and fully in line with international law, and only target facilities that have directly participated in or supported the Zionist regime's illegal aggression. Iran's mission to the United Nations said that unlike the Israeli extremists, Iran is committed to and adheres to international humanitarian law (IHL) and does not target civilians and civilian infrastructure. 2050

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announced in a statement that the Israeli military’s command and intelligence center located in the vicinity of a hospital was targeted in the latest retaliatory attack by the Iranian Armed Forces. Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) says it has targeted the Israeli military's command and intelligence center in a precision attack. The I.R.G.C. announced the strike in a statement on Thursday, saying that the center was targeted during the 14th round of attacks of Iran’s “True Promise 3” Operation against Israel. The latest and 14th round involved a precision attack using suicide drones and strategic missiles that targeted the Israeli military’s command and intelligence center, located in the vicinity of a hospital, the statement read. The world is now aware of the Iranian Armed Forces’ intelligence and precision attacks capabilities, said the I.R.G.C., adding that all the areas across the occupied Palestinian territories are in despair and have turned into military barracks. All military centers across the occupied territories have been evacuated and the Israeli military has set up its “useless” missile and defense systems in the middle of urban areas and under the cover of public places, the statement further said. The I.R.G.C. referred to its previous warning that all the skies over the occupied territories were unsafe, saying it is now warning that the already-weakened regime cannot stand the economic harms caused by Iran’s punishment. Israel attacked Iran, including residential buildings in Tehran, in an unprovoked act of aggression overnight on June 13. Top Iranian military officials and several nuclear scientists were assassinated in targeted strikes, and civilians lost their lives when houses were struck directly. The Iranian Armed Forces have responded powerfully, striking key targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa, among others, as Israel continues it attacks against civilian areas and infrastructure in different parts of Iran.  On Wednesday night, the I.R.G.C. said in a statement that the Armed Forces had launched a new type of powerful missiles at targets in Israel. It said that the missiles were of the Sejjil type, potent weapons that are two-stage, long-haul, and super-heavy.     4194

Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center said Thursday it was moving most of its patients to other hospitals following an Iranian missile strike which caused widespread damage and injured dozens, as other hospitals were told to minimize intake and prepare for the possibility that they could be targeted as well. At least 80 people were injured when a ballistic missile with a large explosive warhead slammed into the hospital’s surgical ward, destroying it and causing widespread destruction to nearby buildings, the medical center said. Following the attack, the hospital, which serves around 1 million residents of southern Israel, said it would not accept new patients, except in urgent and life-threatening cases, and that hundreds of existing patients were being sent home or to other hospitals for treatment. Some 700 patients were being treated in the hospital at the time of the attack, according to Hebrew media reports carrying figures provided by the hospital. By Thursday afternoon, only 300 patients remained, according to the reports. The Hadassah hospital network in Jerusalem said it was taking in some of Soroka’s patients. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms “Our hospitals have been doing intensive preparedness work to provide ongoing patient care in underground hospitals and protected areas and to receive mass casualties,” Hadassah president Carol Ann Schwartz said in a statement. A medical staffer walks along a damaged area at the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Beersheba, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Soroka said that “the public is asked not to come to the hospital, except for urgent and life-threatening medical cases. Women giving birth in an emergency can come to the Saban Midwifery Center, which is protected. Other women in labor are asked to go to other hospitals at this stage.” The southern hospital had begun evacuating the surgical ward of patients just days before the attack. Some patients in the damaged building were taken to an underground facility just hours before the strike, a statement from the Health Ministry said. The strike came amid a barrage of ballistic missiles that targeted a wide swath of the country at around 7 a.m. Thursday, with other impacts in a financial district in Ramat Gan and a Holon residential block. IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Thursday evening that Iran had intentionally targeted Soroka during the attack. Smoke billows from a building at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in southern Israel following an Iranian missile attack, on June 19, 2025. (Maya LEVIN / AFP) “Let there be no doubt, the Iranian regime deliberately and maliciously fired at the hospital and population center with the intent to harm civilians. This is state-sponsored terrorism and a blatant violation of international law,” Defrin said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the medical center was used mainly to treat soldiers fighting in Gaza and that the blast had only caused cosmetic damage. In reality, the explosion pancaked part of the top floor of a building and turned parts of the hospital into a mess of concrete rubble and mangled steel. Hospital staff said the blast was so powerful it threw them backward. On Thursday afternoon, they sat in the hospital courtyard rewatching videos of towering plumes of smoke. “We knew from the noise that it wasn’t like anything we were used to, that it wasn’t like anything we had seen before,” said Nissim Huri, who was working in the kitchen and took refuge in a concrete shelter during the strike. Israeli troops stand outside the Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba, after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran on June 19, 2025. (Marc Israel SELLEM / POOL / AFP) “It was terrifying,” Huri said, describing the scenes as she emerged from the shelter as “complete destruction.” Medical transporter Yogev Vizman, called to the scene just after the blast, said he witnessed “total destruction” when he arrived. “That whole building was on fire…everything collapsed, Vizman said. “I’m sad, this is like my home, they simply destroyed our home… I never thought there would be a direct hit on a hospital.” Iran has bombarded Israel with ballistic missiles daily in response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear and ballistic programs that began Friday morning. The explosions have destroyed entire residential high-rises, killing 24 people and wounding thousands more. Smoke rises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex in Beersheba after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Following the attack, Health Ministry deputy director Dr. Sefi Mendelovich called on medical centers to limit hospitalizations and prepare for the possibility they may be targeted as well. In a letter sent to hospital directors obtained by the Ynet news site, Mendelovich told hospital directors nationwide to begin discharging women a mere 12 hours after childbirth, compared to the current standard of 36 hours for vaginal births and 48 hours for cesarean sections. The ministry also instructed hospitals to revamp their internal mass-casualty event protocols, including “emergency evacuation” procedures for wards hit by missiles. The aftermath of an Iranian missile strike on Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center, June 19, 2025 (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel) Preparations must also include readiness for hazardous materials scenarios, requiring updates to toxicological emergency plans and the activation of outdoor decontamination systems. The International Committee of the Red Cross condemned the Iranian strike on Soroka, insisting that “hospitals must be respected.” “Under international humanitarian law, the wounded and sick, medical personnel and hospitals must be respected and protected,” the ICRC said on X. You appreciate our journalism We’re really pleased that you’ve read 7 Times of Israel articles in the past month. You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context. Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7. So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. 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An Iranian missile barrage has struck several sites across Israel, damaging a hospital in the country’s south, and Israel has attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water nuclear reactor as the two countries trade fire for a seventh consecutive day.At least 240 people were wounded in the Iranian attacks, including four seriously, according to Israel’s Ministry of Health. The majority were lightly wounded, including 70 at the Soroka Medical Center in the city of Beersheba in southern Israel.Iran said it was targeting a military site in that attack. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the missile attack hit an Israeli military and intelligence centre located near Soroka hospital, causing only “superficial damage to a small section” of the health facility.Iranian projectiles also made impacts in at least six other locations, including in Tel Aviv and two of its districts – Holon and Ramat Gan, according to local media reports.The Israeli army said its fighter jets struck dozens of sites in Iran, including Natanz and the heavy water nuclear reactor, which was originally called Arak and is now named Khondab.The military said it specifically targeted “the structure of the reactor’s core seal, which is a key component in plutonium production”.Iranian media reported air defences were activated in the area of the Khondab nuclear facility and two projectiles hit an area close to it.Officials told Iranian state TV that evacuations were made before the strikes and no risk of radiation or casualties was detected. There was no mention of any damage.An Israeli military spokesperson later said that fighter jets had struck the Bushehr nuclear power plant located on Iran’s Gulf coast, the Reuters news agency reported. But an Israeli military official later said the statement was “a mistake” and said he could not confirm or deny if the facility had been targeted.The escalation comes after Israel launched a major attack on Iranian military facilities and nuclear sites last Friday, killing senior military officials and top nuclear scientists.Sign up for Al JazeeraBreaking News AlertGet real-time breaking news alerts and stay up-to-date with the most important headlines from around the globe.Iran responded to that attack by launching waves of missiles at targets in Israel, although most have been shot down by Israel’s multitiered air defences. The conflict has quickly widened this week with both countries striking one another.Katz threatens KhameneiThe Soroka Medical Center, which has more than 1,000 beds and provides services to about one million residents of southern Israel, said in a statement there was “extensive damage” in several areas of the hospital and the emergency room was treating several minor injuries. The hospital was closed to all new patients except for life-threatening cases.Many hospitals in Israel have activated emergency plans in the past week, converting underground parking to hospital floors and moving patients underground, especially those who are on ventilators or are difficult to move quickly.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iranian leaders they would pay “a heavy price” for the attack, and Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.“Such a person is forbidden to exist,” Katz said in a statement cited by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.Rescue workers and military personnel inspect the site of an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan, Israel [Oded Balilty/AP]The Iranian news agency IRNA said the “main target” of the Beersheba attack “was the large [Israeli army] Command and Intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters and the military intelligence camp in the Gav-Yam Technology Park”. The facility is next to the Soroka Medical Center, it said, claiming the health facility suffered only minor damage from the shockwave resulting from the missile strike.Tight military censorship in Israel means information about sites such as military and intelligence facilities are not released to the public. According to Israeli media reports, a building next to the hospital described as “sensitive” sustained heavy damage.Ori Goldberg, an Israeli political commentator, told Al Jazeera that Israeli authorities were focusing on the hospital attack and trying to send a “message that the Iranians target hospitals”.“Of course, Israelis target hospitals as well. It’s important to mention that there really are very sensitive installations and headquarters very near to the hospital because Israel places its military headquarters in the midst of civilian neighbourhoods and towns,” he added, speaking from Tel Aviv.Iranian state TV, meanwhile, reported the attack on the Arak site, saying there was “no radiation danger whatsoever”. An Iranian state television reporter, speaking live in the nearby town of Khondab, said the facility had been evacuated and there was no damage to civilian areas around the reactor.Israel had warned earlier on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and urged the public to leave. The Israeli military said its latest round of air strikes also targeted Tehran and other areas of Iran, without elaborating.The strikes came a day after Khamenei rejected United States calls for a surrender and warned that any US military involvement in the conflict would cause “irreparable damage to them”.A Washington, DC-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran in the past week of air strikes and more than 1,300 have been wounded. Iran has fired about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, killing at least 24 people and wounding hundreds.Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Earlier today, our powerful Armed Forces accurately eliminated an Israeli Military Command, Control & Intelligence HQ and another vital target. The blast wave caused superficial damage to a small section of the nearby, and largely evacuated, Soroka Military Hospital. The facility is mainly used to treat Israeli soldiers engaged in the Genocide in Gaza 25 miles away, where Israel has destroyed or damaged 94% of Palestinian hospitals. It is the Israeli regime and not Iran that initiated all this bloodshed, and it is Israeli war criminals and not Iranians who are targeting hospitals and civilians. Hundreds of innocent Iranians have been murdered in cold blood since Israel launched its illegal war against the Iranian people last week. We call on Israelis to heed our evacuation orders before strikes and to avoid proximity to military and intelligence sites. Our powerful Armed Forces will continue to pummel the criminals who target our people until they cease and pay for their criminal aggression against our nation.

Earlier today, our powerful Armed Forces accurately eliminated an Israeli Military Command, Control & Intelligence HQ and another vital target. The blast wave caused superficial damage to a small section of the nearby, and largely evacuated, Soroka Military Hospital. The facility is mainly used to treat Israeli soldiers engaged in the Genocide in Gaza 25 miles away, where Israel has destroyed or damaged 94% of Palestinian hospitals. It is the Israeli regime and not Iran that initiated all this bloodshed, and it is Israeli war criminals and not Iranians who are targeting hospitals and civilians. Hundreds of innocent Iranians have been murdered in cold blood since Israel launched its illegal war against the Iranian people last week. We call on Israelis to heed our evacuation orders before strikes and to avoid proximity to military and intelligence sites. Our powerful Armed Forces will continue to pummel the criminals who target our people until they cease and pay for their criminal aggression against our nation.

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT‘There Was a Massive Boom’: Doctor Recounts Iranian Strike on HospitalAn Iranian missile hit a building at the Soroka Medical Center, a major hospital complex in southern Israel. The hospital said it was treating several patients with minor injuries.Emergency workers at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel, on Thursday.Credit...Daniel Berehulak/The New York TimesJune 19, 2025Large slabs of concrete were all that remained from what was once the top floor of the hospital building. Rubble and shattered glass blanketed the surrounding area, even hundreds of feet away. Melted plastic and burned wiring filled the air with a foul smell.Hours after an Iranian missile hit part of the Soroka Medical Center, a major hospital complex in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Thursday, firefighters brought the blaze under control while rescue teams scoured the site and medical teams transferred patients to other facilities.“There was a massive boom and blast wave,” said Dr. Vadim Bankovich, head of the Orthopedics Department, whose office faces the floor of the old surgical building that took a direct hit.Shlomi Codish, the director general of the hospital, said that much of the building had been evacuated in recent days. Mr. Codish said that all patients and medical staff had been in protected spaces when the missile struck, and that the hospital was treating several patients with minor injuries.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed it had targeted Israeli military facilities next to the hospital, according to the Fars news agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards. It offered no evidence for the claim, and Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the claim.Want to stay updated on what’s happening in Iran and Israel? , and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.When he received an alert on his cell phone warning him of incoming missile fire, Dr. Bankovich said he and his team rushed to a windowless safe space, where patients at his department were already gathering. After leaving the safe space 10 minutes later, he found cabinets toppled, ceiling panels scattered on the ground, and medical devices shattered.“Windows blew out everywhere, even those reinforced with iron in the protected rooms,” said Dr. Bankovich, referring to the hospital’s safe rooms. He and his team had been sitting 100 feet away from the site of the missile strike. Now, the view from his office is one of destruction.Dr. Bankovich said that his department would have to be shut down because of the damage.“We felt the warmth of the blazes,” he said.The strike on Soroka Medical Center came on the seventh day of the war, and was the first time a hospital has been directly hit since Iran began launching missiles and drones at Israel, in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and senior military commanders.In recent days, Iran has scaled back its missile fire, and the Israeli military has eased some of its wartime directives for civilians, signaling that it believes the threat from Iran’s missile fire has diminished. But the strike on the hospital underscored that Iran can still inflict serious damage within Israel, despite the Israeli military’s strikes on missile launchers in Iran and its advanced air defense systems, which have intercepted most projectiles midair.Since the war began on Friday, Iranian attacks have hit several population centers — including high-rise residential buildings and a research institute — killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 800, according to Israeli health authorities.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel vowed to avenge the strike on the hospital. “We will make the tyrants from Tehran pay the full price,” he said in a post on X.Standing in a staff parking lot carpeted with rubble and shattered glass, as damaged cars were towed away, Avichay Amrami, 38, a hospital attendant, recalled how “people were running in different directions after the strike. There was chaos.”Concerned that the hospital building was at risk of collapse, Mr. Amrami and his co-workers immediately began evacuating patients to safer areas.“Luckily, the floor that was hit was empty,” Mr. Amrami said.Natan Odenheimer is a Times reporter in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.Related ContentMore in Middle EastAmr Nabil/Associated PressSaher Alghorra for The New York TimesMariam Dagga/Associated PressSaher Alghorra for The New York TimesIsabel Kershner/The New York TimesRonen Zvulun/ReutersEditors’ PicksRettie & Co.Taylor-Hughes PhotographyNadia PillonTrending in The TimesNadiia ZhelieznovaVanessa SabaPool photo by Adalberto RoqueSan Bernadino County Sheriff's DepartmentIoulex for The New York TimesTyrone Siu/ReutersJacqueline EmeryMegan Varner/Getty ImagesMaddie McGarvey for The New York TimesBonhamsAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT

Reuters — Shattered glass and piles of rubble littered the floors of Soroka Medical Center on Thursday, after an Iranian missile ripped through the hospital in Beersheba, injuring dozens. The major public hospital, which serves around 1 million people living in southern Israel, sustained extensive damage in the strike. Several wards were completely destroyed, with debris scattered across the parking lot and surrounding walkways. “We knew from the noise that it wasn’t like anything we were used to, that it wasn’t like anything we had seen before,” said Nissim Huri, who was working in the kitchen and took refuge in a concrete shelter during the strike. Visit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE “It was terrifying,” Huri said, describing the scenes as she emerged from the shelter as “complete destruction.” Israel launched an aerial war against Iran on Friday, calling it a preemptive strike designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms Hospital staff said the blast was so powerful it threw them backward. On Thursday afternoon, they sat in the hospital courtyard rewatching videos of towering plumes of smoke. Smoke rises from a building at the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Beersheba, June 19, 2025. (AP/Leo Correa) The Health Ministry said 71 people were wounded in the attack, most of them suffering light injuries or panic attacks as they rushed for shelter. Hospital staff evacuated patients and cordoned off damaged areas. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. There are no Israeli military facilities in the vicinity of Soroka Hospital. The IDF’s Southern Command base is located over two kilometers away, and there is an under-construction army base just over a kilometer away. There is no intelligence headquarters in Beersheba. “The claim of an attack on an intelligence base or the presence of military equipment under the hospital is another lie. We are not so despicable as to endanger civilians,” the IDF said in a Persian-language statement directed at the Iranian population. “Attacking hospitals is a crime. Fabricating a reason does not justify it,” it adds. The hospital began moving patients out of some buildings in recent days as part of emergency precautions in response to the Iranian strikes. It has since limited admissions to life-threatening cases only. Patients in the damaged building were taken to an underground facility just hours before the strike, a statement from the Israeli Health Ministry said. Medical transporter Yogev Vizman, called to the scene just after the blast, said he witnessed “total destruction” when he arrived. “That whole building was on fire…everything collapsed, Vizman said. “I’m sad, this is like my home, they simply destroyed our home… I never thought there would be a direct hit on a hospital.” Medical workers wheel a patient to safety after a building at Soroka hospital was hit by an Iranian missile, in Beersheba, on June 19, 2025. (John Wessels/AFP) Soldiers from the military’s search and rescue unit searched the battered buildings to ensure nobody was trapped inside. An IDF soldier told Reuters that all he saw at first was “thick black smoke” and that they inspected every floor to look for casualties. “It’s God’s will that this place was evacuated from civilians last night,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. ToI staff contributed to this article. Is The Times of Israel important to you? If so, we have a request.  Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.  We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.  Yes, I'll give Yes, I'll give Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this

(June 20, 2025 / JNS) The Iranian regime is being widely accused of war crimes after it fired a missile at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, in southern Israel, on Thursday, with many noting a double standard, in which Israel is decried for pursuing terror sites embedded intentionally in Gazan hospitals, but global organizations have yet to condemn Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the hospital that “we are hitting nuclear targets and missile targets precisely, and they are hitting the pediatric ward of the hospital. That says it all.” On a visit to the hospital, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the attack “a war crime.” “Iran is indiscriminately targeting civilian populations and trying to kill Jews,” stated Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). “It’s unconscionable and speaks volumes to their depraved inhumanity.” Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) stated that “the Iranian regime’s deliberate attack on an Israeli civilian hospital is despicable.” Experts told JNS that Iran is accountable for attacking the hospital, but that its missiles aren’t “smart” enough to actually aim at a specific building from that far away. “It’s unclear what exactly Iran was targeting, because we know their ballistic missiles have demonstrated significant levels of inaccuracy,” said Ryan Brobst, deputy director of the military and political power center at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “It was certainly more than just superficial damage to the hospital, but the fact that Iran is knowingly firing inaccurate ballistic missiles at cities gives you a good idea of where their intentions lie,” Brobst told JNS.  Militaries, like Israel’s, try to reduce civilian casualties, but “Iran doesn’t seem to have made any effort to do so,” he said. “While targeting military infrastructure is on its face legal, doing so without regard for civilian casualties is potentially not legal under the laws of war and laws of armed conflict.” Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told JNS that Iranian missiles appear to have a “circular error” probability of about three-quarters of a mile. That means “if you draw a radius around a desired target, half of the missiles that you fire will fall into that and then 90% of the missiles would fall within two circular error probables,” he said. “If you’re using missiles with this type of capability to attack targets in dense urban areas, you’re rolling the dice that you’re going to hit non-combatants,” Lair said. Annika Ganzeveld, Iran team lead for the American Enterprise Institute’s critical threats project, told JNS that the Islamic Republic has claimed that some of its missiles have a circular error probability of about 165 feet, and others of 350 to 1,000 feet.  “The Iranians themselves are claiming that they have these very small margins of error, and we have seen some direct impacts. It is possible that Iran is getting some through and that these are getting to the target,” Ganzeveld said. “With the hospital today, the Iranians have claimed that they were targeting an Israeli C2 and intelligence headquarters nearby it,” she said. “It’s very difficult to tell whether they were actually targeting that alleged military headquarters, or if they were targeting the hospital.” Gerald Steinberg, founder of NGO Monitor, posted a screen capture of a New York Times headline stating, “Israel says Iranian missile strikes major hospital,” which he called a “clown show.” “The missile hit was clearly shown on live video, as was resulting destruction,” he wrote. “No justification for the ‘Israel says’ caveat. Those responsible for this headline, and all the others like it, should be helped out the door and to a different career track.” Steinberg told JNS that the Times headline is part “of a clear pattern of negatively singling out Israel among many Times staff.” “When Hamas or allied NGOs make false allegations about Israel, or casualty claims in Gaza, these are often repeated in the Times without the caveat of ‘Hamas says,’” he said. Reporters, opinion writers and editors at the Times “openly display a mix of snarky bias and shallow understanding,” he told JNS. “The result is a corporate spin that leads to headlines that tell the reader to discount anything that would justify Israel’s response to deadly attacks like today’s.” New capabilities? Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, told JNS that Iran “has amassed a sophisticated and dangerous arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones” and its attack on Soroka hospital “was deliberate and indiscriminate, an attempt to maximize civilian casualties.” “Cluster munitions are designed to spread multiple explosions over a wide area, but Iran did not aim this weapon at a military base. It deliberately fired these munitions at civilians,” he said. “Iran’s intentions could not be clearer. Bloody murder.” During Iran’s missile strike last year, the regime targeted Israeli military sites. “All of Israel is a legitimate target for the Iranian regime—schools, hospitals and communities,” he said of the current Iranian attacks. The envoy told JNS that the silence at the United Nations about Iran’s attacks “has been deafening, and it is appalling that there hasn’t been clear and loud condemnation of the Islamic Republic’s attempt to kill Israeli civilians.” “This points to the glaring hypocrisy of the United Nations that rushes to condemn Israel at any given moment and before all the facts are in place, but with other states, like the Islamic Republic and its indiscriminate attacks on Israeli civilian population centers, there is much more hesitation,” he said. Military experts told JNS that more Iranian missiles appear to be striking Israeli territory without being shot down. “It’s hard to say whether that’s an issue of Israel running low on interceptors, or whether that is Iran using more advanced munitions—new types of missiles that have a more advanced capability to get through air defenses,” Ganzeveld, of AEI, told JNS. Israel has said that it eliminated about two-thirds of Iran’s missile launchers, which Ganzeveld said is important. “Even if Iran has thousands of ballistic missiles, or hundreds of ballistic missiles, left in its stockpile, those missiles aren’t really effective if Iran doesn’t have the launchers from which it can launch them at Israel,” she said. “It seems that the Israel Defense Forces is very much prioritizing knocking out those launchers,” she added. “If Iran doesn’t have the launchers from which you can launch the missiles, then the number of missiles it has isn’t really going to matter, because it won’t be able to launch them.” Brobst, of FDD, said that Israel might be saving its Arrow interceptors for ballistic missiles that appear headed to certain targets, if it is running low on interceptors. That would mean that it would let “others continue on and hit, which could lead to a higher rate of civilian casualties,” he told JNS. “It’s unknown exactly what Israel’s Arrow stockpiles are, but it’s not surprising that they might be running low after intercepting so many incoming missiles,” he said. Lair, of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told JNS that it has always “bedeviled missile defense” that “interceptors are vastly more expensive to produce than missiles.” “This has always been true, just because the technology is more complicated. That means that the Iranians probably have more missiles than Israel has interceptors,” he said.  Interceptors don’t always work, which is why one can see videos of Iron Dome intercepts, in which “you’ll see multiple interceptors go up to get one missile,” Lair said. “On some level, it is kind of a matter of time before Israel runs out.” “Will Iran be able to ride this out long enough to the point where they more or less exhaust the Israeli interceptor magazine?” Lair said. “That’s where we would see an inflection point in terms of the kind of coercive violence that the Iranians would be able to start delivering against Israel.” But Iran has a “command and control problem,” according to Lair. Israel wiped out the “higher echelons” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the first night of the attacks, which made it very hard for Iran to coordinate a response. “Similarly, Israel was very aggressive in suppressing that first line of Iranian missile bases,” Lair said. “That seriously inhibited Iran’s ability to generate strikes initially.” “It’s so disorganized. There’s less of an understanding of who’s in charge,” he said of Tehran. “But also the Israelis are being very effective at destroying launchers, and this is all derived from their ability to control the airspace.” Anti-Israel bias is everywhere.Help us share the facts.

A thick black cloud rose Thursday morning from Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, southern Israel's largest medical center, after it was directly hit by an Iranian missile. As one approaches the site, the acrid smell of smoke and burnt material grows stronger.The destruction is visible at every step: shattered windows, scorched walls. But despite the heavy damage, the words "luck" and "miracle" can be heard repeatedly.Just yesterday, mere hours before the explosion, the upper floors of the old, northern surgery building, which absorbed the brunt of the impact, were evacuated. One of the workers recounts that even after the evacuation, staff and patients remained on the first three floors. Another worker tells him, "There is a God in heaven, it's crazy luck." The Home Front Command sees it less spiritually. For them, it's mainly about the proper execution of safety guidelines. "Soroka was prepared for an emergency in advance, and there were no patients on the two top floors," said a senior official in the Southern District of the Home Front Command. Yet he added, almost in a whisper, "There was probably also luck involved. It could have ended completely differently." Israel At War: Reporting, analysis, and verified updatesEmail *Please enter a valid email addressA patient being evacuated from Soroka Hospital after the strike on Thursday.Credit: Eliyahu HershkovitzThe fire in the building raged for hours. Initially, rescue forces feared that dangerous substances had leaked, and access to the compound was prohibited. Only when heavy black smoke rose from the upper floors, and the fire did not subside, did they realize it was a stubborn blaze. After extinguishing the fire, the extent of the destruction became clear: collapsed ceilings, walls cracked open, shattered windows. The adjacent buildings were also damaged: entire corridors were blackened, and the floors were strewn with glass shards and building debris. About 80 people were lightly injured by the missile strike, half of them hospital staff. More than 700 patients were initially staying in various units, and now only about 300 remain. Soroka, southern Israel's medical anchor, has stopped accepting new patients, except for emergency cases and life-threatening situations.The collapse of an Israeli high-rise exposed the country's unsteady social foundations'Years of work down the drain': Iranian missile tore through Israel's science instituteIsrael's health ministry to hospitals: Prepare to discharge mothers 12 hours after birthThe internal medicine building has been evacuated. Teams run through the corridors with forms, stretchers, and medical records, preparing for the mass transfer of patients to hospitals across the country. The surgery department has become a makeshift transit station, discharge forms are hastily signed, units are quickly evacuated. Amidst this chaos, along a bypass road, a reservist from the search and rescue team slowly pushes an elderly woman on a wheelchair, who is expected to be transferred to another hospital. The woman speaks only Arabic. She is confused, suffering, muttering unintelligibly, and occasionally emitting silent cries of pain. The soldier tries to soothe her gently. The entrance to Soroka Hospital on Thursday.Credit: Eliyahu HershovitzA tour between the departments reveals the magnitude of the blow. Artyom Avlevich, an orthopedic intern, was in a morning meeting in the building adjacent to the surgery unit when he heard the explosion. The blast also damaged that building."All the patients and staff were already in the protected space. After the impact, we moved those who were in the protected areas to the ground floor. There was no electricity in the building." Now, he says, his entire unit is shut down. The operating rooms are dark and silent. Dozens of medical staff in purple and blue, masks on their faces, are not fighting for patients this time but for equipment. They load everything that can be salvaged onto carts, moving through cracked walls and flooded floors, with flashlights trying to pierce the darkness. Rescue workers managed to extract some life support machines and monitors. A life-saving center turned into a disaster area in an instant.Patient evacuated from Soroka Hospital after the Iranian strike on Thursday.Credit: Eliyahu HershkovitzThe laboratories were not spared either. One of them, which operated in collaboration with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, was severely damaged. The university reported that equipment worth millions of shekels was destroyed, and that it would take years to reconstruct the research.The lab dealt with the way the regulation of the exchange of materials serves as a basis for drugs against tumors, infectious diseases and diabetes. Beyond their research contribution, the labs were responsible for rapid diagnoses, interpreting results and advising medical treatment. A nurse passing through the hall stopped to talk even as she was carrying dozens of blood samples that hadn't been damaged. "It's a small lab for us, but there are large labs that currently aren't operating, so I think the hospital won't be able to function properly," she said. "You could say it's been shut down." Home Front Command teams transfer patients from Soroka to other hospitals on Thursday.Credit: Eliyahu HershkovitzIn front of the pediatric emergency ward, which has been turned into a makeshift evacuation center, dozens of patients wait. Some are on stretchers, others in wheelchairs. Their faces show shock, confusion, pain. Some are connected to IV's, others are unable to speak. Most are alone, without family members, perhaps because entry to the hospital is blocked.An elderly woman in a wheelchair tries to understand what is happening, where she is being taken to. "To Tel Aviv," one of the nurses replies – and the elderly woman screams, confused and frightened. "Does she have children? Where are they?" asks a soldier who knows the woman and came to accompany her. "I don't know," the nurse answers. "We have to evacuate her now," the soldier decides. The woman is carefully transferred to an intensive care bus that operates in emergencies. She is lifted from the bed and into the bus. Inside – rows upon rows of evacuation beds, silent, ready for the journey. Between thoughts of an absolute miracle and the sights of severe and extensive destruction, the future of Soroka is now hazy. Repairing the damage will take a long time, and it is unclear where patients from Israel's southern communities can receive treatment during this period."To Tel Aviv," one of the nurses answered her. The old woman screamed, confused and afraid.Breaking news and the best of Haaretz straight to your inboxEmail *Please enter a valid email address"Does she have children? Where are they"" the soldier asked an acquaintance of the old woman who had come to keep her company."I don't know," she answered."We've got to evacuate her now," the soldier decided.The woman was carefully brought to a bus that provides intensive care during emergencies. She was lifted from the bed to a lift, which slowly raised her and moved her into the belly of the bus. Inside, there was row upon row of beds for evacuation. They were silent, ready to go.Amid the thoughts of an absolute miracle despite the severe and widespread damage, a dark cloud hovers over the future of Soroka. Fixing the damage will require a lot of time. It's not clear where the many wounded and sick from southern communities will be taken to while it's closed for repairs.

A hospital in southern Israel has been hit by an Iranian missile strike.The Soroka Hospital, in Beer Sheba, suffered "extensive damage", officials said. It is the main hospital in Israel's south and sustained a "direct hit" by a ballistic missile this morning, according to Israeli authorities. Two people were seriously injured and around 40 were wounded, according to Israeli emergency services.Iran's state media said its main targets were an IDF command and intelligence headquarters next to the hospital.Israel-Iran live: Iran's supreme leader 'cannot exist anymore', Israel warns Image: The medical facility in Beer Sheba after the missile strike from Iran. Pic: Reuters/Amir Cohen Image: Pic: Reuters Image: Pic: Reuters The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) attacked the Khondab nuclear site, which is roughly 250 miles (400km) west of Tehran, overnight after telling people nearby to evacuate.Iranian media confirmed two projectiles hit an area close to the partially built heavy-water research reactor, with officials telling state media that no risks of radiation or casualties were detected.Iran's atomic energy organisation described the attack on the facility, originally known as Arak, as a "renewed violation of international law". Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "exact the full price" from Iran after the hospital strike."This morning, Iran's terrorist tyrants launched missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheba and at a civilian population in the centre of the country," he wrote on X. "We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran."Mr Netanyahu added in a later statement that he was asked whether Israel was targeting the downfall of the regime.He said it was "up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom", adding: "Freedom is never cheap, it's never free. Freedom requires the subjugated people to rise up and it's up to them, but we may create conditions that will help them do it. "Mr Netanyahu claimed that there is no military site for "miles and miles" around the hospital and that it would say "everything" about Israel and Iran by Tehran "targeting a hospital" and the IDF "targeting nuclear sites and missile sites".His defence minister Israel Katz vowed to "increase the intensity of attacks" against Iran."The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of attacks against strategic targets in Iran and against government targets in Tehran in order to remove threats to the State of Israel and undermine the ayatollahs' regime," he wrote on X. Image: Strikes on Israel Sky News correspondent Cordelia Lynch was at the Soroka Hospital following the strike and said she saw smoke rising from the building."We heard eyewitness accounts of people hearing a loud boom as this medical centre was struck," she said."We've been seeing patients being wheeled out here, we've seen others with minor injuries, but it's unclear when exactly they incurred those."Israeli air defences were penetrated over central parts of the country overnight. According to a military official, several population centres, including the hospital, were hit after dozens of missiles were launched.Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, was one of the areas hit by Iranian attacks overnight, leading to extensive damage. Image: People flee an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan, Israel. Pic: Reuters Image: Emergency personnel at the site. Pic: Reuters/Ammar Awad Image: Debris can be seen on the streets in the area. Pic: Reuters/Ammar Awad Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv this morning as explosions were heard.The emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attack, with dozens of others hurt in three other locations. In south Tel Aviv, people are trapped in a building, it said.Israel's attack on the Khondab nuclear facility, which its military identified as a key component in plutonium production, was accompanied by strikes on what Israel said were nuclear weapons development sites in Natanz and Isfahan.Construction at the Khondab nuclear site was halted, while its core was removed and filled with concrete to make it unusable under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. But Iran told the UN's nuclear watchdog that it planned to start operating the reactor in 2026.Heavy-water reactors pose a nuclear proliferation risk because they can easily produce plutonium which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of a bomb. Image: Strikes on Iran The Khondab reactor was "not operational" when it was struck by Israel, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.The nuclear watchdog said the facility was under construction at the time Israel struck it."It was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects," it added in a post on X.Natanz was the site of a complex at the heart of Iran's nuclear programme that included two enrichment plants.The site was previously struck by Israel during its aerial war with Iran, which started a week ago.Read more from Sky News:UAE: Navigational error caused oil tankers to collideCause of power cut in Spain and Portugal revealedThe strikes mark the latest in Israeli efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear infrastructure.Iran has always denied planning to build an atomic weapon and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

“The damage is immense,” said Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov in a briefing to reporters. “We’re learning a great deal from this and will continue to learn more.”3 View gallery Soroka Medical Center after the Iranian missile hit (Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen)The Iranian missile struck between the fourth and fifth floors of Soroka’s six-story surgical tower. A second building housing 280 internal medicine beds was also significantly damaged. “The hospital’s response and protective measures saved dozens of lives,” Bar Siman Tov noted.Reconstruction efforts have begun, and the ministry estimates the total rebuilding cost at around NIS 1 billion. Soroka remains partially operational, with emergency, maternity and surgical departments still functioning, but officials have urged the public to avoid nonessential visits.Some wards may take weeks to restore, and it's unclear when damaged areas like the elevators will be back online. While the hospital has a tentative recovery schedule, no full reopening date has been announced. “We plan not only to repair but to rebuild more robustly,” said Bar Siman Tov, announcing a NIS 1 billion reconstruction plan that includes a new fortified hospital building designed to ensure operational continuity during emergencies.3 View gallery Soroka Medical Center (Photo: AP/ Leo Correa)That plan, he added, will require cooperation from the Finance Ministry, the broader government and philanthropic organizations.The missile strike reignited a long-standing national debate about the vulnerability of Israel’s hospitals. According to the Health Ministry, there are currently 7,240 fortified hospital beds and an additional 2,916 with proximity to protected areas. Since October 7 and during the subsequent war, more than 3,000 fortified beds were added, including in psychiatric wards.Bar Siman Tov emphasized the need for a “strategic leap” in hospital fortification. “We quickly realized this was a major threat—not just the direct impact but the shockwave that follows. That’s why we evacuated many wards underground and ramped up home hospitalization efforts.”During the operation, hospitals across Israel activated reinforced emergency plans, converting parking garages into shelters and building out new fortified wings. Ongoing construction projects include a new ER at Shamir Medical Center, a northern tower at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and new facilities at Edith Wolfson and Shaare Zedek Medical Centers. “These projects require significant new funding, and we are working to make it happen,” he said.By the end of the operation, 3,345 casualties had been brought to hospitals, either by ambulance or independently. Of those, 23 were in serious condition, 111 moderate and more than 3,000 lightly wounded. There were also 144 cases of shock.3 View gallery (Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen)Though the war officially ended, thousands remain displaced and are living in temporary housing, including hotels. The Health Ministry says it will continue providing mental health and medical support through the national resilience centers and HMOs.Bar Siman Tov also praised the cooperation between hospitals, public and private, that helped maintain surgical capacity, citing operations from Sheba, Rabin and Meir medical centers that were carried out at the reinforced operating rooms of Assuta Ramat HaHayal in Tel Aviv.“The mutual support across the health system was incredible,” he said. “Some of the coordination was initiated directly between hospitals; others were facilitated by the ministry.”The Health Ministry will conduct an official investigation into how the healthcare system performed during the war. “We’ll appoint external professionals to assess and help us improve,” said Bar Siman Tov. “From what we’ve seen so far, the system performed well, and the experience from recent crises—from COVID-19 to October 7—was critical to managing the challenges of this war.”