The conflict between Israel and Iran took a grave turn Thursday as Iran launched missile strikes into Israel, hitting key civilian infrastructure, including Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, southern Israel. The hospital sustained significant damage, and several people were injured, prompting officials to urge the public to avoid seeking treatment there.Soroka, one of Israel’s largest hospitals with over 1,000 beds, serves nearly one million residents. Fortunately, Israeli authorities confirmed that the hospital wing directly struck had been evacuated earlier in anticipation of an attack. “Many lives were saved,” said the director general of Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency rescue service. The Israeli Health Minister, Uriel Bosso, condemned the attack as a “war crime” and accused Iran of deliberately targeting medical personnel and civilians.The same barrage from Iran also struck a high-rise apartment complex in Tel Aviv, injuring at least 16 people, three of whom are in serious condition. Journalists from AFP reported hearing sustained and violent explosions across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.This escalation coincides with Israel’s seventh consecutive day of airstrikes on Iranian territory. Israeli warplanes targeted Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor in Khondab, a facility critical to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Iranian state media confirmed the strike, reporting no radiation leak and stating that the facility had been evacuated before the attack.The Arak facility, located about 155 miles southwest of Tehran, plays a vital role in Iran’s potential weapons-grade plutonium production. Though Iran had agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal to redesign the reactor to limit proliferation risks, international concerns have resurfaced, particularly after the U.S. exited the agreement in 2018 under President Trump.As of Thursday, Israel has also bombed uranium enrichment facilities at Natanz, centrifuge production centers in Tehran, and a nuclear research site in Isfahan. These strikes have reportedly resulted in the deaths of several top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists.According to a Washington-based Iranian human rights organization, over 639 people have died in Iran since the Israeli campaign began, including 263 civilians. More than 1,300 have been wounded. In response, Iran has launched roughly 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, killing at least 24 and injuring hundreds more.The U.S. is reportedly weighing direct military involvement, with President Trump considering options amid rising global alarm. Meanwhile, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has expressed concern over the situation. Inspectors last visited the Arak site on May 14 but now admit they no longer have full visibility into Iran’s heavy water production due to restrictions imposed by Tehran.In the past, under the terms of the 2015 agreement, Iran had sold excess heavy water to international buyers—including the U.S.—to remain compliant. But with verification now compromised and hostilities rapidly escalating, international diplomatic efforts are under intense strain.
