Israel has vowed to escalate its military campaign against Iran following a missile attack that targeted civilian infrastructure, including Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva, while the Ministry of Environmental Protection confirmed no hazardous materials leak occurred at the facility. The intensifying conflict, now in its seventh day, has seen significant developments on multiple fronts, including Iranian missile advancements and Israeli operations in Samaria.
No Hazardous Materials Leak at Soroka Hospital
The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that reports of a hazardous materials leak at Soroka Hospital, sparked by the Iranian missile strike, were unfounded. Southern District inspectors conducted on-site monitoring and measurements, ruling out any chemical threat or risk to the public. The ministry reiterated the importance of adhering to Home Front Command instructions, which it described as “life-saving.”
Meanwhile, Magen David Adom reported three critically injured, two moderately injured, 42 lightly injured, and 18 civilians hurt while rushing to protected areas during the attack.
Following the attack, the Ministry of Health has instructed the evacuation of approximately 150 patients from internal medicine departments at Soroka to several other hospitals, including Barzilai, Assuta Ashdod, Sheba, Hadassah, Beilinson, and other medical facilities.
Israel Vows to Intensify Strikes on Iran
Israeli leaders sharply condemned Iran’s targeting of civilian sites, with Defense Minister Israel Katz labeling the attacks “war crimes of the gravest kind.” Katz, in a direct threat to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated, “The cowardly Iranian dictator sits in the depths of his fortified bunker, directing deliberate attacks toward hospitals and residential buildings in Israel. He will be held accountable for his crimes."
Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to escalate attacks on strategic and regime targets in Tehran to “eliminate threats to Israel and destabilize the Ayatollah regime.”
IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichai Adraee accused Iran of launching missiles at civilian centers to deflect from losses to its strategic systems, calling the regime’s justifications “false and empty.” Journalist Almog Boker noted that Katz’s rhetoric marks a shift, as toppling Iran’s regime has not been an official war objective until now.
