Justifying Iranian Missile Strike On Israel's Soroka Hospital, Telegram Channels Supporting Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Claim Iran Targeted Civilians Following Israeli Strikes On Strategic Sites, Descr

Memri

8 hours ago

On the morning of June 19, 2025, an Iranian missile struck the Soroka hospital in the Israeli city of Beersheba, the main medical center serving southern Israel, causing extensive damage and injuring dozens, six of them seriously. This came as part of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, in which both countries have launched multiple airstrikes against the other since June 13. Israel's strikes have mainly targeted nuclear and military sites, killing dozens of senior military officials, while Iran's have killed over 20 civilians and injured hundreds, as well as causing heavy damage to residential areas and some military sites.
Following the strike, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) portrayed the attack as directed at military targets, claiming that its main target was the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) and Cyber Defense Directorate, as well as the Gav-Yam Negev advanced technologies park, alleging that these sites house thousands of soldiers and the IDF's "digital command, cyber operations, and C4ISR [Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] systems." It further claimed that the military infrastructure was directly hit, while the hospital did not suffer extensive damage.[1]
It should be noted that the Gav-Yam Negev site is almost a kilometer from the hospital, while the IDF's Southern Command base is over two kilometers away.
Other sources supporting Iran-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militias falsely quoted Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service as reporting that the missile struck a "biological research center" adjacent to the hospital, describing it as a "sensitive security site."[2] Others described the medical center itself as a "military hospital," noting that it treats IDF soldiers injured in combat.[3]
Echoing the Iranian claims, Telegram channels supporting Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq and Yemen justified the attack on the hospital. One channel explicitly defended the targeting of civilian sites in retaliation for strategic sites in Iran which have been targeted by Israel. Others alleged that it is Israel, not Iran, which targets civilians and hospitals, pointing to Israeli airstrikes on hospitals in Gaza which Israel claimed Hamas used for military purposes.[4]
Telegram Channel Justifies Attacks On Israeli Civilian Targets As Response To Israeli Strikes On Iran's "Strategic Depth"
The "Al-Hashd Al-Electroni" [Electronic Popular Mobilization Units] Telegram channel described Iran's missile strike on the hospital as a direct response to Israel's targeting of "vital facilities" in Iran, such as the Arak heavy water reactor and uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow. Claiming that the target of the Iranian attacks was a "biological research center" linked to Israeli military intelligence, it declared: "The message is clear: If you come close to our strategic depth, we will violate the sanctity of your 'civilian' areas and deliver the response in your homeland."[5]
Telegram Channel Asserts Iran Has Legal Right To Deliberately Target Israeli "Military Hospital," Insists Iran Does Not Target Israeli Civilians
The "Mustaqim" Telegram channel, which supports Iran-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militias, responded to claims by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and others that Iran targeted civilians by attacking the Soroka hospital. The channel asserted that Iran never intentionally targeted civilians, unlike Israel, insisting that Iran has an "exclusively military bank" of targets in Israel, and adding: "If it were not exclusively [military], they would have targeted all of Israel, because every settler [i.e. Israeli] is a soldier and undergoes training." It further accused Israel of targeting hospitals in Gaza based on mere suspicions of Hamas presence. The channel asserted that Iran reserved the right under international law to deliberately target the hospital in retaliation for Israel's attacks on Iran's state broadcaster in Tehran, falsely adding that Soroka is a "military hospital," as evidenced by videos documenting soldiers wounded and killed in Gaza being brought there.[6]
Satirical Video Depicts Israeli Military Base Beneath Targeted Hospital
Following the strike on the hospital, other Telegram channels supporting Iran-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militias shared a brief satirical video depicting a military base containing tanks underneath the hospital building, similar to images released by Israel showing Hamas military facilities beneath Gazan hospitals it has struck.[7]
Over the course of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, in which the U.S. has threatened to intervene on the latter's side, multiple Iran-backed Iraqi militias and Telegram channels supporting them have released statements and posts condemning Israeli attacks on Iran and threatening to attack Israeli and U.S. targets in the Middle East.[8]