Israeli officials accused of 'hypocrisy' over Iranian strike that hit hospital
Social media platforms erupted on Thursday, following Israel's condemnation of an Iranian missile strike on Soroka hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel, which the Israeli government labelled a war crime.
The Israeli government described the attack as a deliberate violation of international law, citing the targeting of a civilian medical facility.
But the condemnation was met with swift backlash online, where many accused Israel of hypocrisy.
הקו האדום נחצה.
המשטר הדיקטטורי מטהרן עבר את הגבול ופועל כמו ארגון טרור ברברי. הירי למרכז הרפואי ״סורוקה״ ולעבר אוכלוסיה אזרחית הוא פשע מלחמה מתועב.
מדינת ישראל, יחד עם שותפינו בעולם החופשי, מחויבים ונחושים לשים לזה סוף אחת ולתמיד. pic.twitter.com/kE9PLtygVZ — Uriel Busso-אוריאל בוסו (@BussoUriel) June 19, 2025
Translation: The red line has been crossed. The dictatorial regime in Tehran has crossed the line and is acting like a barbaric terrorist organisation. The shooting at the Soroka Medical Centre and the civilian population is a heinous war crime. The State of Israel, together with our partners in the free world, are committed and determined to put an end to this once and for all.
People on social media pointed out that for nearly two years, Israeli forces have systematically dismantled Gaza's healthcare system - bombing hospitals, raiding emergency wards, and forcing medical staff and patients to evacuate under fire.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
For two years, the Israeli Medical Association and its ethics committee have said nothing about Israel's systematic destruction of Gaza's healthcare system, including the annihilation of 35 hospitals, the killing of babies in incubators, and patients in their hospital beds. 1/3 — Ghada Majadli غادة مجادلة (@GMajadli) June 19, 2025
'If attacking a hospital is a war crime, then the radical Jewish extremists are the greatest war criminals. Of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, only 9 remain operational, all the others having been destroyed by Israeli bombing.' Another added, 'If this is a war crime then so are the IDF's actions bombing every hospital in Gaza,' another person wrote.
As of May of this year, just 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain operational, with at least 94 percent of all hospitals in the besieged enclave damaged or destroyed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO recorded 697 attacks on healthcare infrastructure by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
"If this is a war crime then so are the idfs actions bombing every hospital in gaza," another added.
🚨 Reality check:
Netanyahu,
- You bombed Al-Shifa Hospital, killing patients and doctors.
- Flattened Indonesian Hospital, where even ambulances were hit.
- Struck Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, where babies died in incubators.
- Turned Nasser Medical Complex into rubble.
Children… — زماں (@Delhiite_) June 19, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the incident, posting a video from the hospital site. 'We accurately hit nuclear targets and missile targets, and they hit a hospital, where people can't even get up and run away. They are harming not far from here - there is a children's and infants' ward here,' he said.
A social media user responded, 'Coming from the war criminal who: Bombed 35 hospitals in Gaza. Bombed 2 hospitals in Iran. Bombed 40 Hospitals in Lebanon. You have no self awareness and also the hospital itself was not bombed by Iran, stop placing military facilities near your hospitals.'
It is hypocritical for Benjamin Netanyahu to declare the recent bombing of an Israeli hospital by Iran as a war crime when in the first two months of Israel's bombing of Gaza CNN identified 20 out of 22 hospitals as being damaged or completely destroyed. — Pismo Clam (@WaveRambler) June 19, 2025
Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar said on X that "the evil Iranian regime had crossed all moral lines".
One person on X replied, 'You and your equals are the most evil thing that we witness unfortunately. Your evilness can be seen first in Gaza when your evil government destroyed all the hospitals there. Bombing a hospital is evil yes, but look first in the mirror before barking for sympathy…'
Many users also took aim at Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, accusing him of hypocrisy after he said "[Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei will be held accountable for his actions'.
Others turned their focus to what they perceived as glaring bias in western media coverage, particularly the stark contrast in how outlets report on Israeli versus Palestinian suffering.
Many pointed out that while the strike on Soroka hospital was immediately framed as a deliberate attack by Iran, coverage of Israel's repeated bombings of Gaza's hospitals was often muddled with vague qualifiers or unverified framing.
Irish journalist Barry Malone wrote, "The difference between the reporting on a hospital being hit in Israel and the reporting on hospitals being hit in Gaza is a such a striking example of Western media bias. Genuinely could be taught in journalism school."
The Palestinian writer and journalist Hamza Yusuf also pointed out the difference in tone, posting: 'No 'health officials say'? No 'according to locals'? No 'Likud-run health ministry claims'? Interesting.'
Others argued that Israel had itself paved the way for this moment - that the very normalisation of hospital bombings was a direct result of its own military campaign in Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Trump privately approved attack plans for Iran pending final order, WSJ reports
US President Donald Trump told senior aides late on Tuesday that he approved attack plans for Iran but has withheld a final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the deliberations. Israel struck a key Iranian nuclear site on Thursday and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital, as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the US would join Israel in airstrikes seeking to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press on with Israel's biggest ever attack on Iran until his arch enemy's nuclear programme is destroyed, said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price". His Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "Ayatollah regime". Netanyahu has said that Israel's military attacks could topple the regime in Iran, and Israel would do whatever is necessary to remove the "existential threat" posed by Tehran. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the Khondab nuclear reactor in Iran's central city Arak overnight, including a partially-built heavy-water research reactor. Heavy-water reactors produce plutonium, which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atom bomb. Iranian media reported two projectiles hitting an area near the facility. There were no reports of radiation threats. Israel's military said it also struck a site in the area of Natanz, which it said contains components and specialised equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development. Iran has always denied planning to build an atomic weapon and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Its Atomic Energy Organisation said Israel had attacked its nuclear sites "in renewed violation of international law" and that there were no casualties because the areas had been evacuated. On Thursday morning, several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the southern part of the country, according to an Israeli military official. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near Soroka medical centre in the city of Beersheba in the south of the country. Soroka reported it had sustained damage. The week of Iranian missile salvoes mark the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that a significant number of projectiles fired from Iran have penetrated defences, killing Israelis in their homes. Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv, with explosions heard as incoming projectiles were intercepted. Israeli media also reported direct hits in central Israel. Emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations. People were still trapped in a building in a south Tel Aviv neighbourhood, they added. Around a dozen mostly European and African embassies and diplomatic missions are located just a few hundred metres from the strike on Tel Aviv. Buildings were extensively damaged in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, a key commercial hub home to high-rise towers, and emergency workers helping residents, including children. The blast caused significant damage to nearby residential buildings and shattered windows across the area. "It's very scary," said Yaniv, 34, who lives just a few hundred meters away. He said he heard a deafening explosion when the missile hit, shaking his apartment tower. The worst-ever conflict between the two regional powers has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and further destabilize the Middle East. Oil prices surged after Israel said it attacked Iranian nuclear sites overnight, as investors grapple with fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East that could disrupt crude supplies. Agencies
Al Etihad
3 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Trump will decide on Iran attack ‘in the next two weeks,' White House Says
20 June 2025 00:45 (The New York Times)US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide whether the United States will attack Iran "within the next two weeks,' adding in a statement released by the White House that "there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.'For days, Trump had mused publicly about the possibility of ordering US forces to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, suggesting that strikes could be imminent, while also insisting that it was not too late for talks. With his comments Thursday, he appeared to opt for some breathing room to consider options that carry a lower risk of Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, said Steve Witkoff, the president's special envoy to the Middle East, has maintained correspondence with Iranian officials. She declined to provide any further details. Iran pulled out of talks with US officials about a nuclear deal after Israel began its attacks last Friday. Leavitt said any nuclear deal with Iran would have to include a ban on enriching uranium and block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
IAEA says its monitoring Israeli attacks on nuclear sites on Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday that it is continuing to closely monitor and assess the situation regarding the Israeli attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, Reuters reported. The UN nuclear watchdog said it had information that Iran's Khondab heavy water research reactor had been hit earlier on Thursday, but reported no radiological effects. Military strikes by Israel on Iran's nuclear sites could lead to potential leaks of radioactive material.
