Latest news with #SorokaMedicalCenter
Arab News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Israeli police prevent media from reporting at scene of Soroka hospital strike
LONDON: Israeli police reportedly prevented journalists from filming at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which suffered 'extensive damage' from an Iranian missile strike on Thursday. Officers were said to have cited security concerns as the reason, on the grounds that footage from the scene revealed 'precise locations' and had been broadcast by Al Jazeera, a media outlet banned in Israel since May 2024 over its coverage of the war in Gaza. The Times of Israel said police confronted one cameraman at the hospital site and demanded he hand over his equipment. The journalist reportedly refused and told officers: 'They are seeing you on CNN, seeing you on BBC, seeing you all over the world, so calm down for a second.' Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack in which the hospital was damaged, saying it had targeted nearby Israeli military and intelligence sites. The Israeli military denied having any facilities in the area. Footage authenticated by BBC Verify suggested the medical complex was hit by a direct strike. Israeli police confirmed on Thursday that they ordered a halt to foreign media coverage at Soroka and other affected locations for reasons of national security. They added that they were actively looking for media workers filming at the sites. 'Israel Police units were dispatched to halt the broadcasts, including those of news agencies through which Al Jazeera was airing illegal transmissions,' the force said. During a visit to the hospital site on Thursday, Israel's minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said: 'This morning in Tel Aviv, there was an incident where equipment was confiscated. There is a clear policy: Al Jazeera endangers state security.' The crackdown on the media comes amid growing concerns among advocates for freedom of the press. Several journalists and other industry professionals have reported obstruction by authorities, including confiscation of equipment. Many accuse Israeli officials of censorship. It follows policy directives from far-right minister Ben-Gvir, in coordination with Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, to 'maintain the safety and security of citizens.' Sources close to Ben-Gvir said he has instructed Israel's Shin Bet security agency and the police to step up action against any foreign media outlets or civilians suspected of celebrating the Iranian missile attacks. 'There will be zero tolerance for expressions of joy over attacks on Israel,' Ben-Gvir said this week. Tensions in the region have risen sharply since coordinated strikes by Israeli authorities against Iranian military and nuclear sites began on June 13. Tehran has retaliated with missile strikes on Israeli targets, some of which have hit civilian buildings. After a visit to the Soroka hospital site on Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz escalated the rhetoric further, declaring that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'can no longer be allowed to exist.' Iranian authorities say at least 639 people have been killed and 1,329 wounded since the fighting began a week ago. The death toll in Israel stands at 24, according to officials in the country.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Health
- Time of India
Israeli PM Netanyahu At Iranian Bombing Site In Beersheba Lauds Trump For Support To Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on Thursday, after it was struck by an Iranian missile that damaged its surgical ward. More than 70 people from the Soroka Medical Center were wounded, where smoke rose as emergency teams evacuated patients. Read More
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Iranian missile strikes hospital, prompting Israeli threat of retaliation
BEERSHEBA, Israel — An Iranian missile hit one of Israel's largest hospitals on Thursday, damaging the facility, causing minor injuries and prompting vows of retribution from Israeli officials as they continued a week-long bombing campaign against Iran. The missile struck the surgery department of the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba shortly after 7 a.m. local time. The blast sparked a fire in the building and shattered windows across the hospital complex.
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Health
- Washington Post
After strike on Israeli hospital, a vista of broken glass, fallen debris
BEERSHEBA, Israel — An Iranian ballistic missile struck the largest hospital in southern Israel on Thursday, the seventh day of the Israel-Iran conflict. The roof of the surgical inpatient building, which took a direct hit, crumpled like cardboard, and windows shattered across the sprawling Soroka Medical Center. About 80 people were lightly injured, hospital officials said.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Health
- Reuters
Israeli hospital had taken patients underground hours before missile hit
BEERSHEBA, Israel, June 19 (Reuters) - 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 1 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. 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 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.
