Overview

• On June 19, Iran launched around 30 ballistic missiles at Israel, one of which struck Beersheba’s Soroka Hospital and wounded dozens of patients and staff.
• Soroka Hospital, which treats Jews, Muslims, Christians and Arab Bedouin across the Negev, was damaged by fire after patients and staff sheltered in underground bunkers.
• Beersheba hosts the IDF’s Southern Command headquarters and lies about 20 miles from Dimona’s nuclear research center, making it a strategically significant target.
• Israeli leaders condemned the hospital attack as a deliberate war crime, with President Isaac Herzog highlighting the unity of the hospital’s multicultural medical teams under fire.
• The strike demonstrates Iran’s capability to penetrate deep into Israeli territory and intensifies concerns about civilian infrastructure and nearby nuclear installations.