An Iranian missile slammed into Israel’s Soroka Medical Center on Thursday, shattering windows and igniting outrage, as CBS News reports. The attack, part of a broader assault, underscores Tehran’s reckless aggression. Israel’s leaders vow to hold Iran’s ayatollahs accountable.
Iran’s missile barrage targeted southern Israel, damaging the Soroka Medical Center and wounding 271 across multiple strikes, while another missile hit a Tel Aviv high-rise, trapping residents. Israel’s air defenses intercepted most projectiles, but the hospital strike caused minor injuries to 71 people. Iran’s claim of targeting a military site, not the hospital, rings hollow.
The Soroka Medical Center, a lifeline for southern Israel, saw heavy smoke billowing from its upper floors. A hospital spokesperson confirmed no serious injuries, as the struck area was evacuated. Rescuers, led by local police commander Haim Bublil, scrambled to secure the site and relocate patients.
Iran’s “dispersal munition” missile unleashed 20 smaller bombs, each packing the punch of a short-range rocket. Israel’s Home Front Command launched a campaign warning of this “new threat of cluster bombs,” urging citizens to report unexploded ordnance. The tactic reveals Iran’s intent to maximize civilian harm.
“The threat is wider geographically, but it is much smaller than the warheads of ballistic missiles,” Israel’s Home Front Command noted. Such downplaying of Iran’s cluster bombs feels like propaganda from Tehran’s playbook. Israel’s public deserves clarity, not minimization.
Tel Aviv’s skies lit up with explosions as air defenses worked overtime. A high-rise strike trapped residents, though a father joyfully reunited with his wife and 10-month-old baby after an agonizing hour. These human stories highlight the terror Iran seeks to sow.
Israel responded with airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, targeting the Arak heavy water reactor on Thursday. The reactor, located 155 miles southwest of Tehran, was non-operational and free of nuclear material, according to the IAEA. Israel’s precise strikes avoided civilian damage, unlike Iran’s indiscriminate attacks.
“We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran,” declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His resolve signals Israel’s refusal to tolerate Iran’s aggression. Tehran’s ayatollahs should brace for consequences.
Iran’s Arak reactor, redesigned under the 2015 nuclear deal to limit plutonium production, remains a concern. The IAEA’s loss of “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s heavy water production raises red flags. Israel’s strikes aim to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Iran’s state television claimed no radiation risk at Arak, with the facility evacuated. Yet a Washington-based Iranian human rights group reported 639 deaths, including 263 civilians, from Israel’s week-long campaign. Iran’s retaliation -- 400 missiles and drones -- killed 24 in Israel.
“Ayatollah Khamenei will be held accountable for his crimes,” vowed Defense Minister Israel Katz. His accusation of “war crimes of the most serious kind” against Iran’s leader cuts through diplomatic niceties. Israel’s patience with Tehran’s provocations has worn thin.
Israel’s campaign also hit Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site and nuclear facilities in Isfahan. Heavy water from Arak produces plutonium, a potential nuclear weapon component. Iran’s nuclear defiance justifies Israel’s aggressive response.
President Donald Trump approved attack plans on Iran but awaits Tehran’s response to his demand to abandon its nuclear program. “We greatly appreciate the U.S. joining in the defense of Israel,” Netanyahu said, praising Trump’s leadership. America’s support strengthens Israel’s hand against Iran’s aggression.
Israeli hospitals, bracing for further attacks, converted underground parking into wards. The Soroka Medical Center’s fire, sparked by the missile strike, forced patient evacuations. Iran’s targeting of civilian infrastructure exposes its moral bankruptcy.
“The prime minister and I instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of the attacks,” Katz revealed, signaling escalation. Iran’s rejection of Trump’s demand for “unconditional surrender” ensures that this conflict will intensify. Tehran's gamble poses a dire threat to regional -- and global -- stability.
