Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba suffers major damage amid escalating Iran-Israel conflict
Iranian missile hits Israeli hospital as Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel suffers extensive damage and multiple injuries early Thursday, hospital officials confirm. The attack is part of the escalating military exchange between Iran and Israel, now in its seventh day.
Multiple Missile Strikes Across Israel
The missile that hit Soroka — a critical facility with more than 1,000 beds — shattered windows, ignited fires, and forced the hospital to limit intake to life-threatening emergencies. Additional strikes injured dozens of civilians when missiles hit residential towers near Tel Aviv.
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service reported at least 40 people wounded in the overnight barrage.
Israel Hits Back: Arak Reactor Targeted
In response, Israeli fighter jets launched precision strikes on Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, targeting what the military described as plutonium-production components.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike hit the component designed for plutonium production to stop Iran from restoring the reactor and using it for nuclear weapons development.
Iranian state TV confirmed the strike but stated there was “no radiation danger.” Civilian evacuations were conducted as a precaution.
Netanyahu Responds: “We Will Exact the Full Price”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the hospital strike as a war crime.
“We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran,” Netanyahu declared.
Many hospitals across Israel have activated emergency protocols, moving ventilated patients to underground shelters and converting parking garages into medical bays.
The Expanding Iranian Missile Campaign
Since the battle began, Iran has fired over 400 missiles and hundreds of drones against Israel. Israel’s air defenses have stopped many of them, but several have escaped, causing significant damage and fatalities.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 639 Iranians, including 263 civilians, according to Iranian human rights organizations.
Nuclear Fears Renewed at Arak Facility
Iran originally planned to decommission the Arak reactor, which had been redesigned under the 2015 nuclear deal. But following the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump, Iran resumed activity at the site.
Israel claims Iran was preparing to restart plutonium production, raising alarm over a potential second path to a nuclear weapon, beyond enriched uranium.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had last visited Arak in May but has since lost “continuity of knowledge” due to Iranian restrictions on inspections.
The Larger Context: A Conflict Without Borders
While the U.S. has remained diplomatically engaged, Iran’s Supreme Leader rejected calls for negotiation, warning the U.S. of “irreparable damage” should it intervene militarily.
Israeli forces now strike Natanz, Tehran, Isfahan, and nuclear scientists, expanding the conflict beyond military sites to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.
Conclusion
A somber turning point in the Israel-Iran conflict, the missile assault on Soroka Medical Center signifies that civilian areas are no longer off-limits. The likelihood of a greater escalation increases as Israel intensifies its counter-nuclear campaign.
Source: AP News