Latest news with #SorokaHospital
The National
an hour ago
- Politics
- The National
Israel rightly condemned Iran's strike on one of its hospitals, but what about the ones it struck in Gaza?
On Thursday morning, Israel 's Soroka Hospital in Beersheba was hit by Iranian missiles, sustaining 'extensive damage'. Israeli officials understandably condemned the attack. But they appeared to be shocked – as if they had not seen a hospital being struck in the past two years when, in fact, Israel had struck all of Gaza's hospitals, sustaining complete or partial damage. The healthcare system in the Palestinian enclave is collapsing, with more deaths and injuries mounting every day. As things stand, at least 55,700 people have been killed and 130,100 wounded since October 7, 2023. Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, called for 'the world to speak out' about Iran's attack. 'Deliberate. Criminal. Civilian target,' she said. She is right. It was, after all, a civilian target. But Israel did not hold itself to the same standard when it struck Al Shifa hospital in April last year, Al Ahli Arab hospital in April this year, the European hospital in May and Al Nasser hospital in February 2024, to name a few examples. On every occasion, it claimed to have evidence that the facilities were being used by Hamas or other armed groups in Gaza. So, what would happen if Iran did the same – claiming that the Soroka hospital was housing people who posed a threat to it? Would that be considered enough to justify its attack? Would the West suddenly support Iran's 'right to defend itself', regardless of how it does it? All hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law and should never be attacked. The wounded and the sick inside the facilities, as well as their medical staff, employees and ambulances all fall under protected status. From Sudan to Palestine and Israel – everybody should be held to the same standard under IHL and be guided by the collective global moral compass that bans harm to civilians, keeps hospitals out of harm's way and restricts war to within the confines of international law. Unfortunately, however, that is not how Israel has taught the world it could be done.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Israeli minister says Khamenei ‘can no longer be allowed to exist' after hospital strike
Defence minister Israel Katz says Iran's supreme leader 'personally gives the order to fire on hospitals' after Soroka hospital in southern Israel was hit during an Iranian missile attack
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Iran ‘launched cluster missile' at Israel
Israel accused Iran of dropping a cluster-type bomb on civilians on Thursday, in what would mark Tehran 's first known use of such a warhead since the 1980s. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that at least one of the missiles that broke through its air defences and exploded in a densely populated area was carrying multiple warheads. The early morning barrage was one of the worst since open warfare broke out between the two countries on Friday, as Iran launched some 20 ballistic missiles at Israel, with four direct hits. Missiles carrying large warheads hit Soroka hospital in central Israel and buildings in Ramat Gan and Holon, near Tel Aviv, causing extensive damage and injuring hundreds of people. A cluster bomb is a fragmentary warhead that splits while descending, scattering tens or hundreds of smaller warheads across a wide area, hitting multiple targets at once. Israel said Iran deliberately attacked hospitals and residential buildings. However, Iran claimed its 'main target' was an Israeli military and intelligence base, not civilians. The use of cluster munitions is controversial as they often indiscriminately kill civilians, especially when many do not detonate on impact, instead sinking into the ground and exploding later. They are banned under the Convention on Cluster Munitions international treaty that prohibits their use, transfer, production and stockpiling. Both Israel and Iran have not signed the treaty. The IDF's Home Front Command said the cluster bomb that was used broke into 20 smaller munitions that acted like rockets and spread across five miles. Iran is not known to have used a cluster-type munition since 1984 during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and its use will likely be interpreted by Israel as a significant escalation. An Israeli military official told The Times of Israel that such a weapon poses a threat to a much wider area than Iran's other ballistic missile warheads, yet the impact of each cluster bomb is far smaller. If Iran has more such weapons in its arsenal, it could greatly complicate Israel's ability to defend itself as its stockpile of interceptor missiles is depleted further with each Iranian attack. IDF officials are reportedly investigating whether Iran's Khorramshahr missile – considered Iran's most powerful missile and dubbed its 'Doomsday weapon' by Israeli media – was used to deliver the fragmentary warhead. First tested in 2017, there had been no record of it being used in combat yet. It is said to have the capability to carry a fragmentary warhead that can scatter around 80 small rocket projectiles across 1,200 miles. The two countries are locked in an arms race. There are fears that Israel is burning through its missile interceptors faster than it can produce them, raising concerns that the country will run low before Iran empties its own ballistic arsenal. Israel has already conserved its use of interceptors, giving priority to densely populated areas and strategic infrastructure, officials told The New York Times. Iran is also facing its own shortage, firing between one third and half of its 2,000 to 3,000-missile stockpile, according to Israeli estimates. As a result, Tehran has been forced to start firing missiles from central Iran, rather than in the west, which takes the weapons longer to reach their targets. Iran has not publicly stated it has cluster weapons in its arsenal, however analysts say the country is known to have imported them and may have produced them. According to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, a global watchdog, Iran likely stockpiles cluster munitions but has not shared information on the types and quantities in its possession. Iran has claimed to possess multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV) – ballistic missiles that carry multiple warheads that can target separate locations. Russia's new Oreshnik ('Hazelnut') intermediate-range ballistic missile showcased this capability in Ukraine at the end of last year, with multiple warheads exploding on impact in synchronisation. However, experts say there is no definitive evidence that Iran has MIRV technology that is operational. Instead, Iran's systems are believed to operate more like cluster munitions than precision-guided weapons.
The Standard
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Standard
Israel attacks Iranian nuclear sites, missile damages Israeli hospital
Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Be'er Sheva, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Photo: AP/Leo Correa)
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Missile strike on hospital to calls for Khamenei's elimination: 10 new developments in Iran-Israel war
The war between Israel and Iran has entered its seventh day, marked by intense military exchanges and significant loss of life. Israel initiated the conflict with pre-emptive airstrikes targeting over a dozen Iranian sites, including key nuclear facilities, nuclear scientists, and military leaders, under a operation codenamed Rising Lion. The stated aim was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, which Israel considers an existential threat. In retaliation, Iran has launched waves of ballistic missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities, targeting military and civilian sites. According to available reports, Israel's attacks on Iran have resulted in a death toll exceeding 240, including 70 women and children, while Iranian strikes on Israel have killed at least 24 people. An Iranian ballistic missile directly struck the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, southern Israel, causing extensive damage to a building used for surgeries. The hospital, serving over one million people, including diverse communities, reported light injuries to several individuals, with most patients evacuated beforehand due to prior warnings. Smoke was seen rising from the facility as emergency teams responded. At least 240 people were wounded in Thursday morning's Iranian missile strikes across Israel, with the majority of injuries classified as light. Among the injured, over 70 were from the Soroka Hospital strike in Beersheba. Four individuals sustained serious injuries, according to Israel's Health Ministry. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) conducted an airstrike on Iran's partially built heavy-water research reactor in Khondab, also known as Arak. Iranian officials reported that the facility was evacuated prior to the strike, and there was no radiation risk. Tehran had previously informed the UN nuclear watchdog of plans to operate the facility in 2026. Other military sites, including centrifuge production and weapons manufacturing facilities were also hit IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin announced that Israel has destroyed two-thirds of Iran's missile launchers, though Iran retains over 100 launchers. This follows seven days of intense strikes, with Iran launching over 450 ballistic missiles and hundreds of UAVs against Israel, targeting both military and civilian sites. India announced plans to evacuate its nationals stranded in Israel, just a day after launching 'Operation Sindhu' to repatriate citizens from Iran. In a press statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Indian citizens in Israel who wish to return will be assisted under the same operation. Their evacuation will be carried out via land routes from Israel, followed by air travel back to India. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'can no longer be allowed to exist' after the Soroka Hospital strike. Speaking in Holon near Tel Aviv, Katz accused Khamenei of personally ordering attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals, and labelled him a threat to Israel's existence. Previous reports indicate that American intervention discouraged Israel from targeting Khamenei earlier. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for alleged bias and complicity in Israel's actions. This followed an IAEA report alleging Iran's non-compliance with nuclear obligations, issued just before the conflict began. Iran accused the agency of siding with Israel in its 'war of aggression.' Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that Iran has 'all necessary options on the table' if the US directly intervenes to support Israel. He urged the US to remain neutral or risk facing Iranian retaliation. The Kremlin also cautioned that US military intervention in the conflict would lead to a 'terrible spiral of escalation." The US military repositioned aircraft and naval vessels from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and a port in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, to avoid potential Iranian attacks. A US official described this as a standard force protection measure, emphasising that no US forces were directly involved in offensive actions against Iran. President Donald Trump has not committed to a timeline for deciding whether to join Israel's campaign against Iran, with reports indicating he is weighing options amid pressure from Israel to use US bunker-busting bombs on Iran's underground nuclear sites. The Israeli military that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads in its attack, posing a new challenge to its defences. Instead of having to track one warhead, missiles with multiple warheads can pose a more difficult challenge for air defence systems, like Israel's Iron Dome.
