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Iranian ballistic missiles struck multiple Israeli targets Thursday morning, including the main hospital in southern Israel and the stock exchange building in Tel Aviv, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
The Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva sustained extensive damage after being hit by Iranian missiles, with Israel's National Emergency Service reporting at least 44 people injured, including three in serious condition.
The hospital serves approximately 1 million residents in Israel's southern region and treats soldiers wounded in Gaza.
Iranian forces launched an estimated 20-30 ballistic missiles at Israel early Thursday, with impacts reported in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas. According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the missiles targeted central Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Holon, as well as the southern city of Beersheba.
The Israeli stock exchange building in Ramat Gan's Diamond District was struck, causing structural damage and prompting emergency response efforts.
Sirens sounded across Israel as the military detected incoming missiles from Iran. Air defense systems activated, with journalists reporting the largest explosions heard in Jerusalem since the conflict began on Friday.
Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso said Iran crossed a red line by targeting Soroka hospital, calling it "a war crime committed by the Iranian regime."
Iran's state news agency IRNA claimed the missiles targeted the headquarters of the Israeli army and intelligence service near Soroka Hospital, stating that the blast wave from the attack caused injuries at the medical facility rather than a direct hit.
"Iran just hit Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva with a ballistic missile. Not a military base. A hospital," Haskel wrote on a social media platform X.
Israel conducted strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor as part of its ongoing campaign targeting Iran's nuclear program. Iranian state television reported the attack on the facility, located 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, saying there was "no radiation danger whatsoever."
The Arak reactor had been redesigned under Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to address proliferation concerns. Heavy water reactors produce plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons.
The current escalation began with Israeli airstrikes on June 13 targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military commanders. Iranian officials reported 639 people killed, including 263 civilians, with more than 1,300 wounded.
Iran's retaliatory missile and drone attacks have killed at least 24 people in Israel and wounded hundreds more, according to official reports.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has urged Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites. IAEA inspectors last visited the Arak facility on May 14, though the agency has said it lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production due to restrictions imposed by Iran.
Multiple countries, including Türkiye, have condemned Israeli actions in the escalating conflict.
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