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The Journal
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
‘They just want to bury him': West Bank village devastated as Israel holds onto body of slain activist
IN THE VILLAGE of Umm al-Khair, a small community nestled in the south Hebron hills of the Palestinian West Bank, locals are unable to mourn the death of a young father. The village, facing encroachment from dozens of illegal Israeli settlers backed by police and bulldozers, was rocked by a killing on Monday that has left residents reeling and isolated. Awdah Hathaleen, a 31-year-old teacher, father-of-three and local community leader, was standing by a fence in the Umm al-Khair community centre when he was shot in the chest by an Israeli settler. An Israeli settler just shot Odeh Hadalin in the lungs, a remarkable activist who helped us film No Other Land in Masafer Yatta. Residents identified Yinon Levi, sanctioned by the EU and US, as the shooter. This is him in the video firing like crazy. — Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) July 28, 2025 Hathaleen fell to the ground as people rushed over to try to help him. An ambulance then came from the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Carmel and took him to the Soroka Medical Centre in Be'er Sheva, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. After the shooting, Israeli authorities declared Umm al-Khair and its surroundings a closed military zone, sealing off all access. Umm al-Khair is one of many Palestinian communities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where some three million Palestinians live alongside roughly 500,000 Israeli settlers. All settlements in the territory, occupied since 1967, are considered illegal under international law. Awdah's body has not been returned to his family for burial, a delay residents say violates Islamic customs and has added to the community's distress. His brother revealed that several community members have begun a hunger strike, protesting the Israeli authorities' refusal to return his body for burial. 'It's devastating,' said a relative of Awdah. 'I've brought two daughters into this world, but I don't know how I can go on.' Locals gathered in the Umm al-Khair community centre. ISM ISM Hathaleen was well-known across the region and internationally for his activism and work on the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land , which tells the story of life under occupation in the West Bank. He also taught English at Al-Saray'a Secondary School. 'He's irreplaceable' Edi, a spokesperson for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), arrived in Umm al-Khair the day after the shooting. The ISM, a Palestinian-led organisation that supports nonviolent resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, described Adwah as a 'dear friend' in a statement. 'The loss is indescribable,' Edi said. 'He had this sort of limitless energy. All the international visitors who came here met Awdah – he was the one who welcomed them, who helped them understand what life is like here. Most of them fell in love with him.' There's so much despair here, it blew me away. Awdah, an activist himself since he was a teenager, hosted scores of foreign activists over the years, helping them navigate the realities of occupation while offering hospitality that, as Edi put it, 'defined him'. He leaves behind three children; Five-year-old Watan, four-year-old Muhammad, and baby Kinan, who is just 7 months old. 'They were loved dearly,' Edi said. Edi, who has visited the village before, said he has 'never seen conditions this bad.' 'They just want to bury him,' he said of the grieving community. Fatal shooting The killing on Monday followed a confrontation that began a day earlier. According to ISM and eyewitnesses, a settler-operated excavator entered Umm al-Khair to reach the Carmel settlement. Villagers had agreed to allow its passage, on condition no local infrastructure would be damaged. Advertisement But the machinery ran over a vital water pipe and continued rolling toward village land. When residents tried to intervene, the operator allegedly struck one man in the head with the excavator's claw, leaving him semi-conscious. Awdah, standing just metres away in the courtyard of the Umm al-Khair community centre, was shot by an Israeli settler amid the chaos that followed. Witnesses said settler Yinon Levi, who has been sanctioned by the US and UK for inciting violence, fired the fatal shot. Since the shooting, Edi said Israeli authorities have arrested 18 Palestinians, including 16 from Umm al-Khair, many during overnight raids. Images have been shared by the community of the 16 men arrested since the murder of Adwah. ISM ISM 'We all feel very helpless when they come in the night, go door-to-door, and take everybody. It leaves us feeling hopeless,' Edi said. Those arrested include several of Awdah's relatives and young men active in non-violent resistance. 'They're targeting the very people who helped keep the protests peaceful,' he said. 'It feels like an attempt to dismantle the community leadership. We were worried that they may have been clearing the way to destroy the village itself.' Since Monday, a number of those arrested have been released, though six remain detained by Israeli authorities. Yinon Levi was released to house arrest by a court in Jerusalem just one day after the shooting. Village in crisis Umm al-Khair lies in Area C of the West Bank, territory fully controlled by Israel under the Oslo Accords. Around 300,000 Palestinians live there alongside roughly 400,000 Israeli settlers. The village, which has a population of roughly 150 people, has long been at the front lines of settlement expansion and settler violence, and faces the relentless growth of a bordering Israeli settlement, Carmel. Edi explained that Carmel has grown in recent years, which now 'completely envelopes the village'. 'It does feel like the people are completely under siege,' Edi explained. 'The entrance to the village can be closed, while the Israeli army can come and go from inside the settlement whenever they want. 'Much of the villagers' time is spent securing water, electricity, and caring for livestock.' An Israeli bulldozer spotted near the village community centre today. ISM ISM Human rights activists and reporters have criticised the lack of amenities for the villagers, while settlers nearby enjoy what The New York Times in 2010 described as 'a lovely green oasis that looks like an American suburb.' The village has also faced numerous attacks from Israeli settlers. In June 2024, a third of the village still standing was demolished as the IDF bulldozed 11 houses, including 5 tent residences, leaving 50 shepherds homeless. They also destroyed the village's electricity generator, solar cells and water tanks. Residents say that Monday's murder represents an escalation in what has already been a decades-long campaign to push them off their land. Carmel is an illegal outpost, as are all Israeli settlements in the West Bank – they violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which bans an occupying power from transferring its population to the area it occupies. Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chernobyl-like nuclear warnings, Fattah missile strikes, and an ‘Islamic Bomb' have left the Middle East on edge
In the first week of open war, Israeli air and missile strikes have inflicted heavy damage on Iran 's nuclear infrastructure and reportedly wiped out several senior military commanders. The strikes targeted key sites including Natanz and Isfahan . Although Israel initially said it had bombed Bushehr, it later retracted the claim. Iran has responded with a massive barrage of 370 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones. According to the Israeli government, these have killed 24 civilians and injured nearly 600 people. Among the targets hit was the Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba . Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting another damaged site in Bat Yam, said, "Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the military has been ordered to "intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran" to dismantle what he called the "Ayatollah regime". Netanyahu added that these attacks might result in the toppling of Iran's leadership. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Тези обувки са толкова удобни, че няма да искате да ги събуете. ZAROTRAVEL® КУПИ СЕГА Undo Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, however, clarified that "regime change" was not currently the cabinet's official goal. Iran deploys new missile arsenal in retaliation Iran's response has included the deployment of multiple missile systems, including the Emad, Qadr-110, Haj Qassem, and the Fattah-1 and Fattah-2 hypersonic-capable missiles. The Iranian Embassy in India said, "The twelfth wave of Operation 'True Promise 3' has begun with the launch of ultra-heavy, long-range, two-stage Sejjil missiles." Live Events "Sejjil missiles, powered by solid fuel and with long-range capabilities, are among Iran's most accurate and powerful strategic weapons. They possess the ability to penetrate and destroy critical enemy targets," it added in a post on X. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) first unveiled the Fattah-1 in 2023. It has a range of 1,400 km and is designed to travel both inside and beyond Earth's atmosphere. Iranian media have called it their first true hypersonic missile. But not everyone agrees. Yehoshua Kalisky , senior researcher at the Israeli think tank INSS, stated, "Israel is able to intercept more than 95% of the missiles because speed is not crucial. What is important is the manoeuvrability of the incoming missiles, and so far the manoeuvrability of these missiles is limited." Also Read: Camera lens behind Israel–Iran conflict: How Iran's missiles are finding their mark Nuclear rhetoric and the revival of an old threat What has truly alarmed global security analysts is the nuclear rhetoric coming from Tehran. Major General Mohsen Rezaei of the IRGC said on state television, "Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses nuclear missiles, we will also attack it with nuclear weapons." He claimed that Pakistan had promised to "stand behind Iran" and urged Muslim unity against Israel. "We may reach a point where we take major actions that will destabilise the entire region," he warned. Reza Sayyad, spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces, added: "Warnings for you in the coming days: Leave the occupied territories, because, certainly, they won't be inhabitable in the future! Taking shelter underground will not bring safety to the Israelis." Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif echoed those sentiments in parliament, calling on all Muslim nations to unite. "Israel has targeted Iran, Yemen, and Palestine. If Muslim nations don't unite now, each will face the same fate," he said. The concept of an "Islamic Bomb" is decades old. Pakistani leaders Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Zia ul-Haq floated the idea in the 1970s. In 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin even warned British PM Margaret Thatcher about this potential threat. And in 2003, nuclear components were seized en route to Libya from Pakistan. AQ Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, later confessed to proliferating nuclear technology to both Libya and Iran. Also Read: Israel-Iran War: Can Trump bomb Iran without asking? Capitol Hill says no, invokes War Powers Act Could Israel use nuclear weapons? The question of whether Israel will respond with nuclear weapons now looms over the conflict. According to SIPRI , Israel possesses around 90 nuclear warheads. Netanyahu has long opposed nuclear agreements with Iran, insisting Tehran can't be trusted. Now, amid Iranian missile strikes, speculation grows that Israel could use the nuclear option. Defence analyst and Indian Air Force veteran Vijainder K Thakur wrote on X: "Both Trump and Netanyahu are clear that if Iran doesn't back down, they will use nuclear weapons." Some analysts suggest that Israel may be letting some missiles through its Iron Dome to justify extreme retaliation. But such a move would need American approval — and that seems unlikely. It would also mean formally acknowledging Israel's nuclear status and could deepen its diplomatic isolation. Also Read: Inside Israel's midnight blitz which took aim at Iran's nuclear arsenal: 60 jets, 100 bombs, and a nuclear target in flames United States keeps its cards close US President Donald Trump, a key ally of Netanyahu, has oscillated between diplomacy and threats. "Nobody knows what I'll do," he said recently. He also speculated online about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, before demanding Tehran's "unconditional surrender." Meanwhile, fears of wider conflict continue to grow. Russia has warned that any Israeli attack on Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant could cause a "Chornobyl-style catastrophe" in the Gulf. Also Read: Is it a dragon? Iran's mysterious hypersonic Fattah missile, flying at 15 times the speed of sound, goes viral The Hypersonic hype: Real or just speed? Iran insists it has used hypersonic missiles against Israel, but global experts remain unconvinced. Hypersonic weapons travel at speeds above Mach 5, but speed alone isn't enough. "This is a hugely complicated task. The Iranians don't have the capacity to manufacture them," said Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute . "Radar can see a missile on a ballistic curve because it's above the radar horizon. If it's a hypersonic glide vehicle, it can fly lower and hills get in the way," he explained. Iran has claimed to use the Fattah-1. Still, Kalisky says, "The Fattah 1 has had minimal success. Iran has two fast and manoeuvrable missiles — Khorramshahr and Fattah 2 — that would be more difficult to intercept. But neither have been deployed." The Israel-Iran conflict comes at a time when fears of nuclear proliferation are already on the rise. Russia, North Korea, and even Pakistan are believed to be expanding or modernising their nuclear capabilities. A 2022 SIPRI report warned that the world is entering a new nuclear arms race. This war may just be the spark that turns a regional conflict into a global crisis. With advanced weapons, shifting alliances, and nuclear threats flying across the airwaves, the stakes have never been higher.
Sky News
19-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Why Iranian strike that damaged Israeli hospital could have big impact on the conflict
Why you can trust Sky News As I approached Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel, I could still see the smoke rising in the heart of the city after an Iranian missile strike. At the gates, stunned-looking patients were still emerging. Among them, Jummah Abu Kush, who was inside the building when it was hit. "Suddenly we heard an enormous explosion," he told me. "We knew it was close. All sorts of things fell from the roof. The doctor was injured and others in the room were hit by the debris too. "The building opposite was on fire. It was very dangerous, very worrying and very scary." Shai Nunu, a doctor at the hospital, said he felt a huge force after the warning sound rang out. "The siren stopped and then we heard a huge explosion. We were thrown backwards from the blast," he said. Around the back of the hospital, I saw the roof of one building had collapsed. In another, windows were blown out - bits of metal and plastic hanging precariously from rooms. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said they hit a military site nearby and the Soroka Medical Centre was not a direct target. Despite the extent of the blast, there were only minor injuries reported. But the impact on this war could be great. The Israeli leadership was quick to attend the site. First came President Isaac Herzog, then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who declared, "We love Donald Trump", as he called for the annihilation of Iran. The Israeli government is framing what happened at the medical centre as a "war crime", vowing Iran would "pay a heavy price" and saying they were in the "process of achieving a tremendous victory". What that victory could look like is very uncertain and Iran shows no sign of backing down. Three days ago, Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah in Iran was also damaged by the shockwaves of a missile strike. The Israel Defence Forces claimed it wasn't a target. Whether intentional or not, healthcare facilities are once again at the centre of the story. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel by Iranian strikes. The number of civilian fatalities remains far higher in Iran. More than 600 people have died so far across the nation, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. But an internet blackout has made it very difficult to get images or information out of the country. The last 24 hours have felt like a sea change in rhetoric and potential action. The drumbeat of war is sounding louder, with Israel using the attack on the medical centre to frame the argument for more intense attacks to come. The question is whether America will buy that argument enough to join the fight.
Sky News
19-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Why Iranian strike that damaged Israeli hospital could have big impact on the war
As I approached Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel, I could still see the smoke rising in the heart of the city after an Iranian missile strike. At the gates, stunned-looking patients were still emerging. Among them, Jummah Abu Kush, who was inside the building when it was hit. "Suddenly we heard an enormous explosion," he told me. "We knew it was close. All sorts of things fell from the roof. The doctor was injured and others in the room were hit by the debris too. "The building opposite was on fire. It was very dangerous, very worrying and very scary." Shai Nunu, a doctor at the hospital, said he felt a huge force after the warning sound rang out. "The siren stopped and then we heard a huge explosion. We were thrown backwards from the blast," he said. Around the back of the hospital, I saw the roof of one building had collapsed. In another, windows were blown out - bits of metal and plastic hanging precariously from rooms. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said they hit a military site nearby and the Soroka Medical Centre was not a direct target. Despite the extent of the blast, there were only minor injuries reported. But the impact on this war could be great. The Israeli leadership was quick to attend the site. First came President Isaac Herzog, then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who declared, "We love Donald Trump", as he called for the annihilation of Iran. The Israeli government is framing what happened at the medical centre as a "war crime", vowing Iran would "pay a heavy price" and saying they were in the "process of achieving a tremendous victory". What that victory could look like is very uncertain and Iran shows no sign of backing down. Three days ago, Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah in Iran was also damaged by the shockwaves of a missile strike. The Israel Defence Forces claimed it wasn't a target. Whether intentional or not, healthcare facilities are once again at the centre of the story. The civilian number of fatalities remains far higher in Iran than Israel. More than 600 people have died so far, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. But an internet blackout has made it very difficult to get images or information out of the country. The last 24 hours have felt like a sea change in rhetoric and potential action. The drumbeat of war is sounding louder, with Israel using the attack on the medical centre to frame the argument for more intense attacks to come. The question is whether America will buy that argument enough to join the fight.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Israel threatens Iran's top leader after hospital hit
Israel's defence minister has overtly threatened Iran's supreme leader after the latest missile barrage from Iran damaged a major hospital and hit a high-rise and several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 40 people were wounded in the attacks, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service. Black smoke rose from the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba as emergency teams evacuated patients. There were no serious injuries in the strike on the hospital. In the aftermath of the strikes on Thursday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist". US officials said this week that US president Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him "at least not for now". Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor and its only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast on the seventh day of a conflict that began with a surprise wave of Israeli air strikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. The hospital said the main impact was on an old surgery building that had been evacuated in recent days. After the strike, the medical facility was closed to all patients except for life-threatening cases, it said. Soroka has more than 1000 beds and provides services to around one million residents in the south of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strike on the hospital and vowed a response, saying: "We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran." Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, although most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences. Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. Iranian state TV said there was "no radiation danger whatsoever" from the attack on the Arak site. Israel had warned earlier on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear program, and Iran's only operating nuclear power plant in Bushehr. A military official later said "it was a mistake" to say there was a strike on the Bushehr plant. An attack on Bushehr, which is near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbours and employs technicians from Russia, would potentially be a major escalation in Israel's air war. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them". Israel had lifted some restrictions on daily life on Wednesday, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he would travel to Geneva for meetings with his European counterparts on Friday, indicating a new diplomatic initiative might be taking shape. Trump has said he wants something "much bigger" than a ceasefire and has not ruled out the US joining Israel's campaign. Iran has warned of dire consequences if the US deepens its involvement, without elaborating. with Reuters Israel's defence minister has overtly threatened Iran's supreme leader after the latest missile barrage from Iran damaged a major hospital and hit a high-rise and several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 40 people were wounded in the attacks, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service. Black smoke rose from the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba as emergency teams evacuated patients. There were no serious injuries in the strike on the hospital. In the aftermath of the strikes on Thursday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist". US officials said this week that US president Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him "at least not for now". Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor and its only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast on the seventh day of a conflict that began with a surprise wave of Israeli air strikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. The hospital said the main impact was on an old surgery building that had been evacuated in recent days. After the strike, the medical facility was closed to all patients except for life-threatening cases, it said. Soroka has more than 1000 beds and provides services to around one million residents in the south of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strike on the hospital and vowed a response, saying: "We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran." Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, although most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences. Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. Iranian state TV said there was "no radiation danger whatsoever" from the attack on the Arak site. Israel had warned earlier on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear program, and Iran's only operating nuclear power plant in Bushehr. A military official later said "it was a mistake" to say there was a strike on the Bushehr plant. An attack on Bushehr, which is near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbours and employs technicians from Russia, would potentially be a major escalation in Israel's air war. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them". Israel had lifted some restrictions on daily life on Wednesday, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he would travel to Geneva for meetings with his European counterparts on Friday, indicating a new diplomatic initiative might be taking shape. Trump has said he wants something "much bigger" than a ceasefire and has not ruled out the US joining Israel's campaign. Iran has warned of dire consequences if the US deepens its involvement, without elaborating. with Reuters Israel's defence minister has overtly threatened Iran's supreme leader after the latest missile barrage from Iran damaged a major hospital and hit a high-rise and several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 40 people were wounded in the attacks, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service. Black smoke rose from the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba as emergency teams evacuated patients. There were no serious injuries in the strike on the hospital. In the aftermath of the strikes on Thursday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist". US officials said this week that US president Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him "at least not for now". Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor and its only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast on the seventh day of a conflict that began with a surprise wave of Israeli air strikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. The hospital said the main impact was on an old surgery building that had been evacuated in recent days. After the strike, the medical facility was closed to all patients except for life-threatening cases, it said. Soroka has more than 1000 beds and provides services to around one million residents in the south of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strike on the hospital and vowed a response, saying: "We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran." Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, although most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences. Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. Iranian state TV said there was "no radiation danger whatsoever" from the attack on the Arak site. Israel had warned earlier on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear program, and Iran's only operating nuclear power plant in Bushehr. A military official later said "it was a mistake" to say there was a strike on the Bushehr plant. An attack on Bushehr, which is near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbours and employs technicians from Russia, would potentially be a major escalation in Israel's air war. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them". Israel had lifted some restrictions on daily life on Wednesday, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he would travel to Geneva for meetings with his European counterparts on Friday, indicating a new diplomatic initiative might be taking shape. Trump has said he wants something "much bigger" than a ceasefire and has not ruled out the US joining Israel's campaign. Iran has warned of dire consequences if the US deepens its involvement, without elaborating. with Reuters Israel's defence minister has overtly threatened Iran's supreme leader after the latest missile barrage from Iran damaged a major hospital and hit a high-rise and several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 40 people were wounded in the attacks, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service. Black smoke rose from the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba as emergency teams evacuated patients. There were no serious injuries in the strike on the hospital. In the aftermath of the strikes on Thursday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist". US officials said this week that US president Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him "at least not for now". Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor and its only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast on the seventh day of a conflict that began with a surprise wave of Israeli air strikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. The hospital said the main impact was on an old surgery building that had been evacuated in recent days. After the strike, the medical facility was closed to all patients except for life-threatening cases, it said. Soroka has more than 1000 beds and provides services to around one million residents in the south of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strike on the hospital and vowed a response, saying: "We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran." Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, although most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences. Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. Iranian state TV said there was "no radiation danger whatsoever" from the attack on the Arak site. Israel had warned earlier on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear program, and Iran's only operating nuclear power plant in Bushehr. A military official later said "it was a mistake" to say there was a strike on the Bushehr plant. An attack on Bushehr, which is near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbours and employs technicians from Russia, would potentially be a major escalation in Israel's air war. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them". Israel had lifted some restrictions on daily life on Wednesday, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he would travel to Geneva for meetings with his European counterparts on Friday, indicating a new diplomatic initiative might be taking shape. Trump has said he wants something "much bigger" than a ceasefire and has not ruled out the US joining Israel's campaign. Iran has warned of dire consequences if the US deepens its involvement, without elaborating. with Reuters
