Iran missiles hit Israel hospital, Tel Aviv area

A hospital in southern Israel was hit during a barrage of “dozens” of Iranian missiles on Thursday, officials said, while another impact was reported by emergency services in the Tel Aviv area.

A spokesperson for the hospital reported “damage to the hospital and extensive damage in various areas. We are currently assessing the damage, including injuries. We ask the public not to come to the hospital at this time.”

As well as serving populations in southern Israel, Soroka hospital is known to treat soldiers wounded in Gaza.

Sirens sounded across Israel early Thursday as the Israeli military said it detected incoming missiles from Iran and Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported hearing loud blasts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

A military official added that “dozens of ballistic missiles” had been launched at Israel.

According to AFP journalists, the explosions heard in Jerusalem around 7:10 a.m. when air defenses activated were the biggest since the conflict with Iran began on Friday.

Israeli emergency services reported an impact “close to a residential building” in the Tel Aviv area, adding that “no injuries” are reported.

A statement also said that missile fragments had fallen on three residential buildings in the center of the country, without giving more details.

Sirens sounded a second time in Tel Aviv in the morning, suggesting a second wave of attacks, an AFP journalist reported.

An all-clear message was given around half an hour after the first alert.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Iran would “pay a heavy price” after a missile hit a hospital in Israel’s south.

“This morning, Iran’s terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and at civilians in the center of the country. We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.

Iran said Thursday the main target of a missile attack that hit a hospital in southern Israel was an Israeli military and intelligence base, not the health facility.

“The main target of the attack was the Israeli Army Command and Intelligence Base and the Army Intelligence Camp in Gav-Yam Technology Park, located in the vicinity of the Soroka Hospital,” state news agency IRNA said.

It said the hospital was “exposed only to the blast wave,” and that the “direct and precise target” was the military facility.

Evacuations

Governments around the world are attempting to evacuate thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiralling Israel-Iran conflict, organizing buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot.

Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign last Friday targeting Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran.

But with Israel’s air space closed and the two countries exchanging heavy missile fire, many people are being evacuated from third countries.

European countries have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens from Israel.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia said Tuesday they had taken 181 people home on government planes.

“It was not possible to send the army plane straight to Israel,” the Czech defense ministry said in a statement, citing the air space closure.

“The evacuees were taken to an airport in a neighbouring country by buses. They crossed the border on foot.”

The German government said flights were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday via Jordan, while Poland said the first of its citizens were due to arrive back on Wednesday.

Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals via Egypt, while a private plane with 148 people landed in the Bulgarian capital Sophia on Tuesday.