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Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Israeli hospital had taken patients underground hours before missile hit
Shattered glass and piles of rubble littered the floors of Soroka Medical Center on Thursday, after an Iranian missile ripped through the hospital in Israel's south, injuring dozens. The major public hospital, which serves around one million people living in southern Israel, sustained extensive damage in the strike. Several wards were completely destroyed, with debris scattered across the parking lot and surrounding walkways. 'We knew from the noise that it wasn't like anything we were used to, that it wasn't like anything we had seen before,' said Nissim Huri, who was working in the kitchen and took refuge in a concrete shelter during the strike. 'It was terrifying,' Huri said, describing the scenes as she emerged from the shelter as 'complete destruction.' Israel launched an aerial war against Iran on Friday, calling it a preemptive strike designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Hospital staff said the blast was so powerful it threw them backward. On Thursday afternoon, they sat in the hospital courtyard rewatching videos of towering plumes of smoke. Israel's Health Ministry said 71 people were wounded in the attack, most of them suffering light injuries or panic attacks as they rushed for shelter. Hospital staff evacuated patients and cordoned off damaged areas. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. An Israeli military official denied there were military targets nearby. The hospital began moving patients out of some buildings in recent days as part of emergency precautions in response to the Iranian strikes. It has since limited admissions to life-threatening cases only. Patients in the damaged building were taken to an underground facility just hours before the strike, a statement from the Israeli Health Ministry said. Medical transporter Yogev Vizman, called to the scene just after the blast, said he witnessed 'total destruction' when he arrived. 'That whole building was on fire… everything collapsed,' Vizman said. 'I'm sad, this is like my home, they simply destroyed our home… I never thought there would be a direct hit on a hospital.' Soldiers from the Israeli military's search and rescue unit searched the battered buildings to ensure nobody was trapped inside. An Israeli soldier told Reuters all he saw at first was 'thick black smoke' and that they inspected every floor to look for casualties. 'It's God's will that this place was evacuated from civilians last night,' he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Malaysia records first Covid-19 death of 2025
To date, a total of 21,738 Covid-19 cases have been recorded. PHOTO: AFP PETALING JAYA - Malaysia has recorded its first Covid-19 death in 2025. The Health Ministry said that the death occurred during Epidemiological Week 24, that spanned from June 8 to June 15. 'The individual had serious comorbidities, which were heart disease and diabetes, with the deceased also not taking the second booster vaccine shot,' the ministry said in a statement on June 19. The ministry added that this was a drastic drop compared to the 57 deaths in 2024. 'The last Covid-19 related death was recorded on May 26, 2024. This shows the effective control steps taken by the ministry,' it said. It added that six Covid-19 cases had been admitted to ICU wards with patients suffering from comorbidities. 'All cases were closely monitored with care, with all patients discharged from ICU wards. Four were allowed to return home, with two transferred to normal wards,' it said. To date, a total of 21,738 Covid-19 cases have been recorded. 'However, there has been an increase in Week 24 with 3,379 cases compared to the 2,011 cases recorded during the prior week. This is a 68 per cent increase,' it said, adding that the situation remains controlled. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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Business Standard
5 hours ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Israel threatens Iran's supreme leader as Iranian strikes wound over 200
Israel, meanwhile, carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, its latest attack on Iran's sprawling nuclear programme AP Tel Aviv An Iranian missile hit the main hospital in southern Israel early Thursday, wounding people and causing extensive damage but no serious injuries, the medical facility said. Israeli media aired footage of blown-out windows and heavy black smoke. Other missiles hit a high-rise apartment building in Tel Aviv and other sites in central Israel. At least 240 people were wounded by the Iranian missiles, four of them seriously, according to Israel's Health Ministry. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist. Israel, meanwhile, carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, its latest attack on Iran's sprawling nuclear programme. Iranian state television said there was no radiation danger whatsoever and that the facility had been evacuated before the attack. Here's the latest: 19 killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza An Israeli airstrike on Thursday on Shati Camp in north Gaza killed a total of 19 people, including three children and five women, and injured 70 others, Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa Hospital told The Associated Press. He said that the strike targeted a group of citizens in the area. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Tuesday that widespread bombardment, shelling and shooting continued across the enclave, including among those who were trying to receive aid. Meanwhile, hospitals are struggling to treat scores of injured due to shortages in medical resources and spaces. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis has been running out of space this week, with WHO's Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus saying on social media the hospital is hosting twice as many patients as it can handle and had received over 300 injured people on Wednesday alone from food distribution sites. A WHO-supported tent originally set up for pediatric and surgical care is now being used as an overcrowded trauma ward with 100 beds crammed into a space built for 88. Gaza's health ministry said Thursday that 69 killed people, including two recovered bodies, and 221 wounded individuals arrived at hospitals across the territory over a span of 24 hours. Since the war began in October 2023, a total of 55,706 people were killed and 130,101 others injured. Some patients at Israeli hospital had been moved before missile strike Hospital staff at a major Israeli hospital that was hit by the latest Iranian missile barrage said some of the most immobile patients were moved to the basement earlier this week to protect them. During a visit Soroka Medical Center's basement, staff told The Associated Press that about 60 patients were moved there. That part of the hospital was previously used as a kindergarten where employees could leave their children, they said. Dr. Dana Braiman said had they not been moved many could have been injured or killed from the missile. The beds they were lying in are now gone, she said. It's unclear what the plan is going forward. The hospital is trying to transfer patients to other clinics in case there is another hit and there are more casualties, but staff say they're taking it one hour at a time. Italy's foreign minister talks to US secretary of state Italy's Foreign minister Antonio Tajani had a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday in which he reiterated Rome's commitment to a de-escalation to favor a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Iran. Tajani and Rubio agreed that Iran must not have the atomic bomb, Italy's foreign ministry said in a statement. The two ministers also addressed the situation in Gaza. Tajani stressed the urgency of an immediate ceasefire and the full restoration of the entry of humanitarian aid. Rubio agreed with that and confirmed that this is the intention of the Trump administration. Trump to decide within 2 weeks whether to strike Iran, the White House says The White House announced that US President Donald Trump will decide whether to join Israel's campaign against Iran's military and nuclear program within two weeks, saying that Trump still sees a window for diplomacy to address Israeli and US demands on Iran's nuclear program. Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks, Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, told reporters, quoting Trump. UN: Major telecommunications outage hits central and south Gaza for third day UN humanitarian officials say efforts to repair a damaged fiber-optic cable are being hindered. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Israeli authorities initially approved the movement Thursday of a team trying to identify where the cable was cut, but then rescinded it. They control the conflict theater, and they are not giving us the approvals, Dujarric said. And I can't stress how urgently we need communications to make sure that we can operate in the safest possible environment -- in an environment that is primarily not safe. Iran asks UN Security Council to condemn Israel's strikes Iran's mission to the UN demanded Thursday that the international body condemn the recent Israeli strikes on Iran's various facilities, including its Arak heavy water reactor earlier in the day. The international community, in particular, the Security Council must not remain silent as crimes of aggression are committed in broad daylight, as international humanitarian law is widespread and systematically violated, and as peaceful nuclear sites and facilities operating under IAEA safeguards come under direct attack, Amir Saeid Iravani, the Islamic Republic's permanent representative to the U.N., said in a letter to the Security Council. UN chief: Upcoming meeting with top diplomats from three European countries and Iran is positive Secretary-General Antnio Guterres has repeatedly said that diplomacy is the only and best way forward to end the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany are scheduled to meeting in Geneva on Friday with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The message from the secretary-general is clear, Dujarric said. Stop the military action, too many people have been killed. Return to diplomacy, and avoid at any cost the further internationalization of this conflict. Canada will help its citizens fly home from Israel and Iran The Canadian government says it will help its citizens in Israel and Iran to fly home once they reach neighboring countries. Ottawa has stationed consular officials on the other side of certain crossings on the Israeli and Iranian borders to help those fleeing either country to get home. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand says the government is are extremely concerned about quickly evolving conflict and they are planning commercial options for Canadians in Israel, the West Bank, and Iran to leave the region via certain neighbouring countries. Houthi leader praises Iran's effective response' Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech Thursday that Israel's military operations against Iran is a dangerous development for the entire region. He said Iran repeatedly asserted that it doesn't want to produce nuclear weapons or use them, and praised the nation's effective response, saying it placed Israel in an unprecedented position. The enemy hoped to achieve a major accomplishment through this aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, but it failed, and the failure of this aggression clearly resulted in losses and damage, said al-Houthi. He dismissed US President Donald Trump's remarks about Iran's unconditional surrender as nonsense and madness, and affirmed that Houthi operations against Israel will persist, including those targeting Israeli maritime activity. Hundreds of Israelis on way home from Cyprus aboard a cruise ship Some 2,400 stranded Israelis are on their way to Israel aboard a cruise ship that has departed from Cyprus' main Limassol port Thursday. They had reached Cyprus after their Israeli-bound passenger aircraft was diverted to the island at the onset of a missile exchange between Israel and Iran last week. Many others stranded in other countries came to Cyprus, the closest European nation to Israel, in hopes of catching a flight or a boat trip back to Israel. Cyprus' chief Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin says approximately 6,500 Israelis were in Cyprus which has become a key transit point for foreign nationals fleeing Israel and many Israelis who want to go back home. Iran's blackout has lasted over 24 hours NetBlocks, a monitoring group that tracks internet outages, said Iran's nationwide internet blackout had lasted over 24 hours as of Thursday afternoon, making it the most severe disruption since anti-government protests in November 2019. Israeli military says Iran used a missile with multiple warheads in its attack The Israeli military said Thursday that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads in its attack, posing a new challenge to its defences. Instead of having to track one warhead, missiles with multiple warheads can pose a more difficult challenge for air defense systems, like Israel's Iron Dome. There was no immediate independent analysis that could be made. Russia voices concern about security at Iran's Russia-built nuclear power plant Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia is particularly concerned about security at the plant in Iran's southern port of Bushehr and the Russian personnel there. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that over 200 Russian workers are involved in building two more nuclear reactors in Bushehr. We agreed with the Israeli leadership that their security will be ensured, he said. Alexei Likhachev, the head of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, told reporters that several dozen Russian workers had already been evacuated from Bushehr and others could follow suit quickly if necessary. Likhachev warned that an Israeli strike on the Bushehr reactor could trigger a catastrophe comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. He voiced hope that the Israeli leadership will have sufficient understanding and common sense not to allow even an accidental hit. Israeli official: Iran has launched 450 missiles and 1,000 drones toward Israel so far The vast majority of the drones have been launched from Iran, but a few have been launched from Iran's proxies, including Iraq, according to the Israeli military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. He added that Israel began its operation in western Iran before moving toward the capital of Tehran and the center. The military is now starting to attack eastern Iran. The official would not comment on whether or not the Americans are planning to target the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant. What Americans do or will not do is up to them, we have our plan and are operating according to it, he said. Gaza officials say 69 dead in past 24 hours The Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that hospitals had received 69 bodies and 221 wounded people in the last 24 hours. It said 55,706 Palestinians have been killed and another 130,101 wounded since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, without saying how many were civilians or combatants. The war began with Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack into Israel, when Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. They still hold 53 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel says it destroyed majority of Iran's ballistic missile launchers Israel said its airstrikes have destroyed around two-thirds of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, according to an Israeli military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. The official said on Thursday that Israel estimates Iran still has over 100 missile launchers remaining active. We are hitting all the chain of production, from the military factory all the way to the launcher itself, we're stopping all of the elements, the official said. Israel estimates that before Friday, Iran had around 2,000 ballistic missiles. The official would not comment on Israeli impact on Iran's nuclear program. We said we're going to damage severely the nuclear facilities, but we didn't say we're going to destroy it totally, the official said. We know our limits. At least 8 killed near aid distribution site in Gaza Health officials in the Gaza Strip say at least eight Palestinians were killed and 60 wounded near an aid distribution site run by a US- and Israeli-backed humanitarian group. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza, which received the dead and wounded, confirmed the toll. It appeared to be the latest of near-daily shootings of Palestinians seeking desperately-needed food in the territory, which experts say is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and ongoing military campaign. Multiple Palestinian witnesses have said Israeli forces routinely fire on the crowds. Local health officials say scores have been killed and hundreds wounded. The military says it has fired warning shots at people it describes as suspects who approached its forces. Russia warns the US against entering the Israel-Iran conflict US military interference would be an extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing Thursday.. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he doesn't want to carry out a U.S. strike on Iran but suggested he stands ready to act if it's necessary to extinguish Iran's nuclear programme. China's Xi calls for ceasefire Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Israel and Iran to implement an immediate ceasefire in their conflict, which he says risks spreading to other countries in the region. If the conflict escalates further, not only will the conflicting parties suffer greater losses, but regional countries will also suffer greatly, Xi said during a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The parties to the conflict, especially Israel, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent the situation from escalating in turn and resolutely avoid the spillover of war, he added. China has sought to maintain warm ties with both the Arab States on the one side and Israel on the other, to little practical effect. Iran's supreme leader appoints new commander Iran's supreme leader has appointed Brigadier General Mohammad Karami as the new ground forces commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force that controls Iran's ballistic missiles, after Israeli strikes last week killed several high-ranking military officials in Tehran. Karami is replacing Mohammad Pakpour, who was appointed last week to become the new commander of the Guard following the killing of Hossein Salami. Iraqi militia threatens to attack US citizens if Iranian leader is targeted Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the main Iran-backed militias in Iraq, threatened to attack U.S. citizens in the event that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is targeted in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. No soldier, diplomat, or even a bearer of your nationality in our region will be safe. All your direct and indirect interests will become legitimate targets for us, as long as we draw breath in this vile world, the statement said. Iraqi militias have thus far largely held their fire in the conflict, although three drones launched at the Ain al-Asad base housing US troops in western Iraq were reportedly shot down on Friday, after Israel's began its barrage of strikes on Iran. No group claimed responsibility for the attack on the base. French foreign minister: France and Europeans willing to negotiate with Iran French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot said Thursday that France and Europeans partners are ready to resume negotiations with Iran. The comments come after Iran's state media said the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with European counterparts in Geneva on Friday. Barrot did not confirm the Geneva meeting. The message from Iranian authorities was relatively clear: there is a willingness to resume talks, including with the United States, provided that a ceasefire can be reached, Barrot told a news conference in Paris. On our side, there is a willingness to resume negotiations, provided that these negotiations can lead to lasting, substantial steps backward by Iran regarding its nuclear program, its ballistic program and its activities to destabilize the region, Barrot said. Patients wheeled out of Israeli hospital hit by missile Patients were wheeled out of a major Israeli hospital that was hit by the latest Iranian missile barrage as emergency responders assessed the damage to the building. A missile struck the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba, damaging its surgical ward. The roof of the building was smashed in, and after the building was hit, smoke could still be seen smoldering from the side. Chunks of cement and glass lay scattered on the ground. Hospital staff said several dozen people were lightly injured, adding that most patients had already been moved to safe spaces. Emergency responders assessed the damage at the Soroka hospital Thursday after a missile struck the surgical ward. Staff said it wasn't clear how secure the building was, or if parts were going to collapse. Two hospital staff who did not want to named told The AP the strike hit almost immediately after sirens went off and they went into the safe room. Dust and debris at Iran's state-run broadcaster after Israeli strike The broadcaster allowed reporters on Thursday to film the aftermath of an Israeli strike against its building in Tehran this week. Associated Press journalists saw the dust and debris now filling an Iranian state television studio. Its windows were blown out by the blast. Chairs sat singed. Israel conducted the strike against the building Monday during a live broadcast there, an hour after it issued a public warning for the wider area of Tehran in which the building is located. Iranian officials have said three employees of the broadcaster, formally known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, were killed in the attack. US diplomat warns Hezbollah against supporting Iran US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said it would be a very bad mistake for Lebanon if the Hezbollah militant group intervened to support Iran militarily in its conflict against Israel. Barrack made the remarks to journalists Thursday after visiting top officials in Lebanon. Iran-backed Hezbollah has condemned Israel's surprise strikes on Iran that sparked the conflict and endorsed Iran's missile barrages over Israel, but has stopped short of saying it will take military action. Israel says Iran's Supreme Leader cannot continue to exist' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cannot continue to exist. Katz spoke after the latest wave of Iranian missiles struck a hospital and wounded at least 40 people. A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of Israel his mission, cannot continue to exist, Katz said. The IDF has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist. US officials said this week that President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him at least not for now. Putin and Xi condemn Israeli attacks on Iran Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping condemned the Israeli attacks in a phone call on Thursday. Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Moscow and Beijing agree that the current situation and the issues related to the Iranian nuclear program can't be solved by force. They believe that a settlement can and must be reached exclusively by political and diplomatic means. Putin informed Xi about his calls with the key players in the conflict and his readiness to help broker an end to the hostilities, Ushakov said, adding that Xi welcomed Russia's mediation. Iran's foreign minister to meet with European counterparts on Friday Iran's foreign minister will meet with European counterparts in Geneva as an Israeli airstrike campaign continues to target his country, state media reported Thursday. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Geneva for the meetings Friday, the state-run IRNA news agency report. IRNA said the meeting would include foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, and the European Union's top diplomat. Iran warns the US to avoid direct involvement in conflict with Israel Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Thursday warned the U.S. again to avoid getting directly involved in the conflict between the Islamic Republic and Israel, saying in a statement that direct role by the Americans would expand the conflict to the region. We warn the criminal United States: any direct involvement in this war would lead to its expansion across the region and will result in severe and irreparable blows, the paramilitary guard in a statement carried by Iranian state T.V. The warning echoes recent statements made by other Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and comes as Trump has said he's not looking for a fight' with Iran but stands ready to act if necessary. IAEA confirms Iran's Arak heavy water research reactor was hit in a strike The Arak reactor was not loaded with nuclear material at the time of the strike, meaning there is no risk to the public of any radioactive contamination. It was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects, said the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog. The IAEA said it had no information on whether the heavy water plant next to the reactor had been hit. Israel later released black-and-white footage of its strike on the Arak reactor, showing a bomb dropping on its dome and sending up a massive plume of fire and smoke. UK's Lammy to meet Rubio in Washington for Mideast talks UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is flying to Washington on Thursday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the crisis in the Middle East. The trip comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of senior ministers, military chiefs and intelligence officials at the government's crisis committee, known as COBRA, on Wednesday. Discussions included how the UK would respond to a potential US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The US may want to use the UK-controlled base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in a potential strike on Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo but is not believed to have requested to do so yet. Britain has continued to urge de-escalation, but has deployed two refueling tankers and 14 Typhoon jets to Cyprus to protect British personnel and interests in the Middle East. The Foreign Office has evacuated family members of British Embassy staff from Israel but not advised U.K. nationals to leave the country. Israeli police stop media broadcast said to expose location of Iranian missile impacts The Israeli police said in a statement that it dispatched cars to a facility to prevent news agencies utilized by Al Jazeera from transmitting unauthorized and unlawful content. Israeli authorities have repeatedly warned media outlets not to share the location of Iranian missile interceptions and hits, though these have in some cases been disclosed in Israeli and foreign media. Israel banned Al Jazeera last year, accusing it of incitement and of endangering troops by disclosing their locations. The network has denied the allegations. China offers to play a role in restoring peace and stability in Middle East Guo Jiakun, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, says China is willing to play an intermediary role in helping end the conflict. China has maintained communication with Iran, Israel, Egypt, Oman and other parties, calling on all sides to take immediate measures to de-escalate tensions and prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil, Guo said Thursday at a daily briefing. China is willing to continue working with countries in the region and the international community to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East as soon as possible, he added. Many aircraft dispersed from major air base in Middle East used by US military A major air base in the Middle East used by the U.S. military has seen many of the aircraft typically on its tarmac dispersed this weekend. The Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha, Qatar, is the forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command. Typically, the air base is filled with multiple transport planes, fighter jets and drones. In a satellite photo taken Wednesday by Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press, the air base's tarmac had emptied. The US military has not acknowledged the change. However, it comes after ships off the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet base in Bahrain also have dispersed. That's typically a military strategy to ensure your fighting ships and planes aren't destroyed in case of an attack. Al-Sistani warns against a strike on Iran's senior religious or political leadership Iraq's top Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, warned Thursday that a strike on Iran's senior religious or political leadership could ignite uncontrollable chaos across the region, an apparent reference to threats that Israel or the US might kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a statement, al-Sistani denounced the ongoing Israeli military campaign against Iran. He said that targeting the country's top leadership would be a criminal act (that) would shatter regional stability, deepen human suffering, and inflict far-reaching harm on the interests of all nations. He called on the international community particularly Muslim countries to increase diplomatic pressure, halt the aggression and broker a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. Widely seen as a voice of moderation, al-Sistani represents a school of thought in Shiism opposed to direct rule by clerics, the system in place in Iran, where Khamenei has the final word in all matters. Patients evacuated from Soroka Medical Centre after missile strike Black smoke rose from the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba as emergency teams evacuated patients. Two doctors told The Associated Press that the missile struck almost immediately after air raid sirens went off, causing a loud explosion that could be heard from a safe room. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. Sam Mednick in Beersheba, Israel Iran says attack on Israel targeted a military site Iran, through its state-run IRNA news agency, claimed it targeted an Israeli military site, not the hospital. Iran claimed the blast wave of the missile struck the hospital. Egyptian FM pushes for de-escalation' dialogue on call with European diplomats Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot and British National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell on Thursday about the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. In a statement after the call, Abdelatty said that the E3, an informal foreign and security cooperation arrangement between the UK, Germany and France, is responsible for opening channels for dialogue and negotiation and utilize all available channels with the Iranian side to reach compromises that contribute to de-escalation. Attack on Arak reactor meant to prevent plutonium production, Israel says Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development, the Israelis said. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. However, it also enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear program. Several countries prepare to evacuate their citizens from Iran and Israel Japan, China, Indonesia and Oman said Thursday they were preparing to help evacuate their citizens from Iran and Israel as the conflict between the two countries intensified. Japan said it is dispatching two military aircraft to Djibouti ahead of a possible airlifting of Japanese nationals from Iran. Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said he ordered the dispatch of two C-2 transport aircraft, along with 120 service members, to the Horn of African nation where Japan has a military base. About 280 Japanese are based in Iran and 1,000 others are in Israel. The Chinese Embassy in Israel, meanwhile, said it will organize group evacuations by bus from Israel starting Friday. A notice posted on the embassy's WeChat social media account said Chinese citizens would be taken out through the Taba border crossing to Egypt. The Indonesian government said it would evacuate its citizens from Iran. About 386 Indonesians, mostly students, are in Iran, primarily in the city of Qom, he said. His ministry, meanwhile, said earlier that about 194 Indonesians are in Israel, the majority of whom are in the southern city of Rafah. And Oman said it had evacuated 245 of its citizens and a number of nationals from other countries via the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, along the country's Persian Gulf coast. Israel's main hospital in south sustained direct hit from Iranian missile with extensive damage' Israel's main southern hospital sustained a direct hit Thursday from an Iranian missile, with officials reporting extensive damage there. Soroka Medical Centre is the main hospital in Israel's south. A spokesperson for the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheba said the hospital suffered extensive damage in different areas and people were wounded in the attack. The hospital has requested people not come for treatment. The hospital has over 1,000 beds and provides services to the approximately 1 million residents of Israel's south, according to the hospital's website. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639, rights group says Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded 1,329 others, a human rights group said Thursday. The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists offered the figures, which covers the entirety of Iran. It said of those dead, it identified 263 civilians and 154 security force personnel being killed. Human Rights Activists, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, cross-checks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources it has developed in the country. Iran has not been offering regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimized casualties in the past. Its last update, issued Monday, put the death toll at 224 people being killed and 1,277 others being wounded.
India Today
5 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Iran fires missiles with cluster bombs as conflict with Israel enters day eight
As the Israel-Iran conflict enters its eighth day, both countries traded barrages of missiles and drones on Friday. Israel bombed nuclear infrastructure in Iran. Tehran retaliated by firing missiles armed with cluster munitions, marking the first reported use of such weapons in the ongoing conflict, including a strike that damaged an Israeli hospital. The exchange marks a sharp escalation in a week-long air war with no clear signs of de-escalation or a diplomatic Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Iran's leadership would pay the full price for the hospital strike. He added Israel is ahead of schedule in its military campaign against Iran, exceeding prior the White House said US President Donald Trump will decide within two weeks whether the US will back Israel militarily. This comes as the White House said definitively that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in "a couple of weeks" once given the go-ahead from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Behind the scenes, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly held several phone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas DEVELOPMENTS IN ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) continued strikes on Iran's military and nuclear sites, targeting infrastructure linked to Iran's nuclear program. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is ahead of schedule in its military campaign against Iran. He said Israel has the capability to target all of Iran's nuclear facilities, including the heavily fortified Fordo site. advertisement Iran also launched barrages of drones and missiles targeting Israel. The Israeli military on Thursday accused Iran of firing a missile armed with cluster munitions, marking the first reported use of such weapons in the ongoing conflict between the two countries. Earlier, Iran hit a medical building in southern Israel, causing extensive damage. Israel's Health Ministry said 71 people were wounded in the attack, most of them suffering light injuries or panic attacks as they rushed for shelter. The White House also said that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a couple of weeks if approved by Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Earlier, the White House said that President Donald Trump will make a decision within the next two weeks on whether to launch a military strike against Iran. The announcement comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran over the Israel-Iran conflict. Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, quoted message from Trump, "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks." Iran has appointed a new head of intelligence at its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), days after Israeli strikes killed his predecessor. According to the Iranian state media, Brigadier General Majid Khadami has been named as the new intelligence chief by IRGC commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour. He succeeds Mohammed Kazemi, who was killed on Sunday along with two other Revolutionary Guards officers, Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri, in an Israeli strike. Amid escalating tensions, nearly 40 US military aircraft have disappeared from the tarmac at a major American airbase in Qatar over the past two weeks, in what appears to be a preemptive move to shield US assets from potential Iranian strikes. Tune InMust Watch
Hans India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Over 200 wounded in Iranian missile attack on Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threatened Iran's Supreme Leader on Thursday after the latest missile barrage from Iran damaged the main hospital in southern Israel and hit several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. Israel, meanwhile, struck a heavy water reactor that is part of Iran's nuclear program. At least 240 people were wounded by the Iranian missiles, four of them seriously, according to Israel's Health Ministry. The vast majority were lightly wounded, including more than 70 people from the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba, where smoke rose as emergency teams evacuated patients. In the aftermath of the strikes, Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military 'has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.' Israel carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, in its latest attack on the country's sprawling nuclear program. The conflict began last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired over 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds.
