Beer-Sheva hospital continues operations despite direct Iranian missile strike
Despite taking a direct hit from an Iranian missile, Soroka Medical Centre in Beer-Sheva continued operating on Thursday, thanks to advanced emergency measures that had cleared patients from the targeted ward just hours earlier, the Israeli Health Ministry said.
Smoke rises from the Soroka Medical Centre in Beer-Sheva after it was directly hit by an Iranian missile on June 19, 2025. Photo by TPS-IL
“The missile directly hit a ward that had been evacuated only hours earlier,” the ministry said. The impact caused minor injuries and damaged parts of the emergency room and other buildings, but hospital operations continued.
According to the ministry, emergency directives issued earlier in the week — and reinforced Wednesday night — included relocating many patients to fortified underground areas.
Authorities ruled out initial fears of hazardous materials leaks from Soroka’s laboratory building.
“Soroka continues to function, and our teams are working in full coordination with the Home Front Command and security officials,” the ministry said. However, the public has been urged to avoid the site for now.
Health Minister Uriel Bosso called the strike a “war crime.”
“The missile launch at the Soroka Medical Center is an act of terrorism and a crossing of a red line. A war crime by the Iranian regime that was deliberately committed against innocent civilians and medical teams dedicated to saving lives,” Bosso said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Iranian attacks and pledged retaliation. “We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran,” he vowed in a tweet.
President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack. “In moments like these, we are reminded of what’s truly at stake, and the values we are defending,” Herzog said. “A baby in intensive care. A mother by their bedside. A doctor rushing between beds. An elderly resident in a nursing home. These were some of the targets of Iran’s missile attacks on Israeli civilians this morning.”
With nearly 1,200 beds, Soroka is the Negev’s health care hub, treating the region’s Jews, Arabs and Bedouins. The hospital also trains 1,000 medical students annually.
Elsewhere, missiles hit the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange complex and a school building in Holon. Magen David Adom said its emergency responders treated 65 people, including three in serious condition.
Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on Friday, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defense officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.
Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes mark a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel’s destruction.
