Iranian missile hits Israeli hospital that serves million; dozens injured
What's the story
Israel's Soroka Hospital in Beersheba reported "extensive damage" after Iran fired a ballistic missile toward the nation on Thursday. The attack also hit seven other sites in Israel, including Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Holon. Israel's emergency service said more than 30 people have been injured. The Ministry of Health has asked hospitals to prepare for an influx of patients from Soroka, with some patients already being directed to Barzilai in Ashkelon and Assuta Ashdod hospitals.
Target dispute
Iran claims it did not target the hospital
Iran has claimed that it did not target the Soroka Hospital specifically, stating its intention was a military base near the facility. However, eyewitness accounts from those present during the attack describe chaos and destruction. Unverified social media footage showed individuals escaping through dusty halls and doctors standing outside among the building's wreckage. "Suddenly everything broke," said one witness. "There is no building. The dining hall building collapsed."
Twitter Post
President Isaac Herzog condemns attack
A baby in intensive care. A mother by their bedside. A doctor rushing between beds. An elderly resident in a nursing home.
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) June 19, 2025
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… pic.twitter.com/OVXkLQ8JYh
On-site experience
'Almost no place in the hospital that was not damaged'
Ilanit, a witness at the scene, said, "There is almost no place in the hospital that was not damaged. The ceilings fell, the medical teams rushed to get the patients into a protected space." A volunteer helping patients compared the incident to "a feeling of the Twin Towers here. It's really serious." Air raid sirens were sounded across the country in response to a surge of Iranian missile launches.
Health Minister
Ministry of Health was prepared in advance
Israeli Health Minister Uriel Bosso described the attack as an act of terrorism and a crossing of a red line. The assault, which included around 30 ballistic missiles, was the most powerful launched by the Islamic Republic in 48 hours. "A war crime by the Iranian regime that was deliberately committed against innocent civilians and medical teams...The Ministry of Health was prepared in advance, and thanks to the immediate actions we took, a very serious disaster was averted," Bosso said.
Hospital
Hospital has around 1,000 beds
The hospital has around 1,000 beds and serves approximately 1 million people in southern Israel, according to its website. The incident occurred as Israel targeted Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state media reported on Thursday. The report, however, said there was "no radiation danger whatsoever." Israel's strikes have already targeted Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, and a nuclear complex in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed high-ranking generals and nuclear scientists.
PM
Tehran will pay 'heavy price': Netanyahu
In the aftermath of the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Tehran that it would pay "a heavy price." "This morning, Iran's terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and at civilians in the center of the country. We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price," he wrote on X.