Israel
Vows Retaliation After Iranian Missile Strike Hits Hospital
Beersheba,
Israel — Tensions between Israel and Iran surged dramatically on Thursday
after a missile strike from Iran set fire to Soroka Medical Center in the
southern city of Beersheba, leaving at least 40 people injured and prompting
furious statements from Israeli leadership.
In
one of the strongest comments to date, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz
said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to
exist,” accusing him of personally ordering the strike on the hospital.
“Khamenei has made no secret of his desire to see Israel wiped off the map,”
Katz said at a press briefing. “He gives the direct command to target
hospitals. A man like that has no place in this world.”
The
Israeli military confirmed that Iran used a missile equipped with multiple
warheads—a new threat to existing air defense systems—causing significant
damage to the hospital, particularly to an evacuated surgical wing. Smoke
poured from several demolished wards, hospital director Dr. Shlomi Codish said.
Iran
claimed it had been targeting a military and intelligence installation, not a
hospital. But Israeli officials dismissed that assertion and pointed to the
deliberate nature of the attack.
In
retaliation, Israel launched a wave of overnight airstrikes deep inside Iranian
territory. Among the targets were the unfinished Arak nuclear reactor and a
uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Military officials said the strikes
aimed to cripple Iran’s potential for developing nuclear weapons.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Katz’s warning, saying, “Iran will pay
a heavy price for this attack.”
The
escalating conflict has already claimed more than 200 lives on both sides since
Israel began striking Iranian military targets last week.
Meanwhile,
U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at potential American involvement in the
conflict. In a carefully worded statement read by White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt, Trump said he would decide within two weeks whether to launch
an attack on Iran. “There’s a significant chance of negotiations happening soon
with Iran, or maybe not. Based on that, I’ll make my decision,” the statement
read.
Leavitt
declined to elaborate on what led Trump to believe talks with Tehran were
possible.
Back
in Iran, a London-based internet watchdog reported a near-total nationwide
blackout on Wednesday, suggesting the regime may be trying to limit the flow of
information amid the escalating crisis. Iran’s state-run Fars news agency
confirmed increased restrictions on internet access.
As
the war widens and rhetoric intensifies, civilians on both sides are bracing
for what could become a prolonged and devastating conflict.
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