Latest news with #missilestrike
The Standard
an hour ago
- Science
- The Standard
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
A building at the campus of the Weizmann Institute of Science remains damaged following an Iranian missile strike on Sunday, in Rehovot, Israel June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Sky News
14 hours ago
- Health
- Sky News
Why Iranian strike that damaged Israeli hospital could have big impact on the war
As I approached Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel, I could still see the smoke rising in the heart of the city after an Iranian missile strike. At the gates, stunned-looking patients were still emerging. Among them, Jummah Abu Kush, who was inside the building when it was hit. "Suddenly we heard an enormous explosion," he told me. "We knew it was close. All sorts of things fell from the roof. The doctor was injured and others in the room were hit by the debris too. "The building opposite was on fire. It was very dangerous, very worrying and very scary." Shai Nunu, a doctor at the hospital, said he felt a huge force after the warning sound rang out. "The siren stopped and then we heard a huge explosion. We were thrown backwards from the blast," he said. Around the back of the hospital, I saw the roof of one building had collapsed. In another, windows were blown out - bits of metal and plastic hanging precariously from rooms. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said they hit a military site nearby and the Soroka Medical Centre was not a direct target. Despite the extent of the blast, there were only minor injuries reported. But the impact on this war could be great. The Israeli leadership was quick to attend the site. First came President Isaac Herzog, then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who declared, "We love Donald Trump", as he called for the annihilation of Iran. The Israeli government is framing what happened at the medical centre as a "war crime", vowing Iran would "pay a heavy price" and saying they were in the "process of achieving a tremendous victory". What that victory could look like is very uncertain and Iran shows no sign of backing down. Three days ago, Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah in Iran was also damaged by the shockwaves of a missile strike. The Israel Defence Forces claimed it wasn't a target. Whether intentional or not, healthcare facilities are once again at the centre of the story. The civilian number of fatalities remains far higher in Iran than Israel. More than 600 people have died so far, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. But an internet blackout has made it very difficult to get images or information out of the country. The last 24 hours have felt like a sea change in rhetoric and potential action. The drumbeat of war is sounding louder, with Israel using the attack on the medical centre to frame the argument for more intense attacks to come. The question is whether America will buy that argument enough to join the fight.
ABC News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Israel says Khamenei 'cannot be allowed to exist' as Trump mulls US strikes
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has declared that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist" after an Iranian missile struck a hospital in Israel's south. At least 40 people were reported injured at the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, the latest Iranian ballistic missile strike to successfully evade Israel's air defences. "Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed — he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals," Mr Katz said at the scene. "Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist." When asked about Mr Katz's comments, Mr Netanyahu replied that "no one is immune", but added that "in war, I believe one must choose words carefully and execute actions with precision". Mr Katz's comments come days after reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Mr Khamenei during the initial stages of strikes against the regime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has neither confirmed nor denied the claims, made by anonymous senior officials to multiple news outlets in recent days. He also vowed to "exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran" over the hospital strike. Mr Khamenei, an 86-year-old Islamic cleric, has ruled over Iran since 1989. Earlier this week, Mr Trump said he would not kill the Iranian ruler "for now" but added that he knew where Mr Khamenei was hiding. Meanwhile, the US president is expected to enter yet another security briefing about the conflict on Thursday afternoon local time. Mr Trump on Wednesday told followers on his Truth Social platform that "nobody knows" what he was going to do. Israel has been pushing for American strikes in Iran, particularly against the country's Fordow underground nuclear enrichment site which Israeli bombs cannot reach. The US possesses so-called "bunker-busting" bombs which can penetrate deep underground, and which the Israelis believe would be able to destroy Fordow. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told the ABC's 7.30 Israel was "capable" of taking out Iran's nuclear targets, but that American weapons would accomplish that task "maybe in a shorter time". British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday echoed calls from other European leaders for de-escalation. His spokesman said stressed that Britain was working to ensure 'de-escalation', and added: 'The continuation of the current situation is in no one's interest. We want to see cool heads and a return to diplomacy because that is the best route forward." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also urged Mr Netanyahu to find diplomatic solutions to the crisis during a phone call on Thursday. German, British and French foreign ministers are expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Friday to discuss potential diplomatic ways out of a wider conflict. The Kremlin released a statement on Thursday, stating both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping "strongly condemn Israel's actions". China's President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for all parties but "especially Israel" to stop hostilities in a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Chinese state media reported. "Parties to the conflict, especially Israel, should cease hostilities as soon as possible to prevent a cyclical escalation and resolutely avoid the spillover of the war," Xi said, according to Xinhua. Meanwhile, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned that US strikes inside Iran would "be an extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences". "We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation," she told reporters in Moscow. Russia is one of Iran's closest and most important allies and have in recent months deepened their military and strategic cooperation.
LBCI
19 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Minor damage reported at Dutch embassy in Tel Aviv, no injuries
The Dutch Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that an Iranian missile strike on the Ramat Gan area of Tel Aviv caused a window to shatter at the Dutch embassy. No staff members were injured in the incident, and the embassy remains secure and operational. Reuters
LBCI
19 hours ago
- Health
- LBCI
Tehran: Strike on Soroka Hospital targeted Israeli military base
Iran stated Thursday that the primary target of its missile strike in southern Israel was a military and intelligence facility, not Soroka Medical Center, which was damaged in the attack. The strike, which also hit two towns near Tel Aviv, left 47 people injured, according to Israeli emergency services. Iran's official news agency IRNA reported that the intended target was the Israeli Defense Forces' C4I command and intelligence base, located within the Gav-Yam technology complex near Soroka Hospital. The report emphasized that the hospital was affected only by the blast wave, while the 'precise and direct' target was the military installation. AFP
