Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, Jun 19: In a dramatic escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, an Iranian missile struck the Soroka Medical Center, the main hospital in southern Israel, early Thursday, causing "extensive damage" and injuring several people, as confirmed by hospital officials. The facility, which caters to over a million residents, has suspended admissions except for life-threatening emergencies.
Visuals from the site showed shattered windows and thick smoke billowing from the complex. Simultaneously, Iranian missiles hit a high-rise and residential buildings near Tel Aviv, injuring at least 40 people, according to the Magen David Adom emergency service.
The retaliatory missile barrage from Iran came amid Israel’s aggressive military campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. In a significant development, the Arak heavy water reactor — a key nuclear facility in Iran — was hit by Israeli airstrikes, aimed at crippling its plutonium production capabilities.
The Israeli military confirmed that its fighter jets had precisely targeted the reactor core seal of Arak, aiming to “halt its use in producing weapons-grade plutonium.” A secondary strike reportedly hit another nuclear-related facility near Natanz. These are part of Israel's broader strategy to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions amidst growing regional tensions.
Iran’s state television acknowledged the attack but assured that there was “no radiation danger” and that the Arak facility had been safely evacuated. Live reports from Khondab, near the reactor site, indicated no civilian damage in the vicinity.
The ongoing seven-day conflict, which began with a surprise wave of Israeli strikes killing several top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists, has now claimed hundreds of lives. According to a Washington-based Iranian human rights body, at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran, with over 1,300 injured.
In response, Iran has launched more than 400 missiles and numerous drones into Israel, killing at least 24 people and leaving hundreds injured. Despite Israel’s sophisticated multi-layer air defense system, officials admitted that it could not intercept every incoming threat.
The Soroka Medical Center, which has over 1,000 beds, suffered structural damage and had to implement full emergency protocols. Many hospitals across Israel had already started converting underground parking areas into patient care zones, anticipating missile strikes.
Though injuries at the Soroka facility were reported to be minor, the attack on a medical institution marks a grave moment in the conflict, raising international concern over violations of wartime conduct.
The Arak reactor, located 250 km southwest of Tehran, had been a central concern during the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. Designed originally to produce plutonium—a key ingredient for nuclear weapons—it was to be redesigned under the deal to limit proliferation risks.
Though the U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018, other nations like Britain had been assisting Iran with reactor modifications. However, recent restrictions on IAEA inspectors by Iran have created gaps in monitoring the country's nuclear material stockpiles.
Iran’s Supreme Leader earlier this week rejected U.S. calls for de-escalation, warning that any foreign military involvement would result in “irreparable damage.” In contrast, Israel lifted some internal restrictions, hinting at confidence in its defense readiness.
With both countries exchanging threats and firepower, and key nuclear sites now drawn into the battlefield, fears of a broader regional war are mounting. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged restraint, warning that strikes on nuclear facilities risk humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.
As tensions peak, the world watches closely, hoping for diplomatic engagement to avert a disaster of unprecedented proportions in the Middle East.