Following an Iranian missile strike that impacted a hospital in Southern Israel, 71 individuals sustained “slight injuries,” according to the country’s .
The attack on Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba was part of a larger series of bombardments from Iran, , which also affected areas like Holon and Ramat Gan. Israel’s reported a total of 271 injuries from these strikes, including those at Soroka, with four individuals in critical condition.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “can no longer be allowed to exist,” at the site of missile impacts in Holon.
Katz declared, “Khamenei openly states his desire for Israel’s destruction—he personally orders strikes on hospitals. He sees the obliteration of the state of Israel as a primary objective,” before issuing a threat against the Ayatollah.
has claimed that the strike in southern Israel targeted a military command and intelligence center located near the hospital, and that the resulted in damage to the medical facility, .
Concurrently, Israel has conducted its own missile attacks on Iran, targeting a nuclear reactor in Arak, nuclear facilities in Natanz, and ballistic missile sites, as reported by the .
The indicates that since Israel’s initial missile attack on Iran, 639 fatalities and an additional 1,329 injuries have occurred there.
HRANA confirmed on Thursday that 263 of these deaths were civilians, and 154 were military personnel.
, Iranian strikes have resulted in 24 deaths and 838 injuries to date.
Israel’s official response to Iranian strike damaging hospital
Israeli government officials have reacted to Thursday’s hospital strike, with , “We will extract the full retribution from the tyrants in Tehran.”
Before his threats against Khamenei on Thursday morning, Katz asserted: “The cowardly Iranian dictator hides deep within his fortified bunker and deliberately fires at hospitals and residential buildings in Israel. These constitute the gravest type of war crimes—and Khamenei will be held accountable for his transgressions.”
Katz continued in , “The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to intensify attacks against strategic targets in Iran and government targets in Tehran to neutralize threats to the State of Israel and destabilize the ayatollahs’ regime.”
While touring the damaged hospital in Beersheba, , Israel’s Security Minister proclaimed: “The ayatollahs’ regime must be eradicated.”
“This is a pivotal moment; we have the opportunity to defeat the Iranian nuclear program, the Nazis, the ayatollahs, anyone who despises the state of Israel,” he added.
Ben-Gvir has recently attracted attention after by the British, Canadian, Australian, Norwegian, and New Zealand governments for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces similar sanctions, including a travel prohibition and asset freezes in those nations.
The ongoing question of U.S. involvement in the conflict
On Thursday, during his visit to the Soroka Medical Center, Netanyahu was questioned about potential U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran. He stated: “President Trump will act in America’s best interest. I trust his judgment; he is an outstanding friend, an outstanding world leader, an outstanding friend of Israel.”
Donald Trump has been considering direct U.S. military action against Iran in recent days. On Wednesday, he told reporters, “I might do it, I might not do it, no one knows what I’m going to do… I can tell you this. Iran faces significant challenges,” when asked if the U.S. was nearing strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iranian leader Khamenei issued a serious warning to the U.S. earlier on Wednesday, declaring, “The Americans should be aware that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable harm,” during a public address.
Russia has also cautioned about the repercussions if President Trump decides to take action against Iran. Kremlin spokesperson informed Russian state media that U.S. intervention would lead to “an expansion in the conflict’s geographical scope. We are hearing from Tehran that this could result in another dangerous escalation.”