Iranian Strike On Beersheba Hospital 'War Crime', Says Israeli Foreign Minister

Early Thursday morning, an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into Soroka Medical Center, the largest hospital in southern Israel, damaging its old surgical ward and other buildings. The hospital, a vital healthcare hub for Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Bedouin communities, as well as Palestinians seeking specialized care, sustained extensive structural damage. Fortunately, the hospital had evacuated vulnerable areas in recent days, which limited casualties. Israel’s Ministry of Health reported 271 injuries nationwide from the morning’s missile barrage, with 71 people at Soroka suffering minor injuries, mostly from the blast’s shockwave or panic-related incidents.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stood among the debris to address the press, condemning Iran’s actions. “This is clearly a war crime,” he said, pointing to the missile impact site behind him. “It reflects the Iranian regime’s consistent strategy. They are deliberately targeting civilian population, civilian targets, civilians, children, elderly people. It is unacceptable.” Sa’ar highlighted that the attack was part of a pattern, noting, “Over the past few hours, I have received numerous calls from foreign ministers around the world condemning this attack. But this is just one example — they’ve done this again and again in recent days.”

A Look At Iran's Claim 

Iran, however, claimed the missile was aimed at a nearby military intelligence facility, not the hospital. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the hospital’s damage as “superficial” and caused by the “blast wave” of a strike on a military target. Israeli officials rejected this, pointing out that the nearest military base, the IDF’s Southern Command, is over two kilometers away from Soroka.

Israel’s Ongoing Mission Against Iran

Sa’ar made it clear that Israel would not back down. “We will continue our operation in Iran. We have a highly detailed plan, we know exactly what we are doing, and we will keep striking nuclear targets and ballistic missile infrastructure. We will not stop for even a single minute until the mission is complete,” he said. This operation, named “Operation Rising Lion,” began on June 13, 2025, with Israel launching airstrikes to cripple Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities, which it views as existential threats.