At least six people were seriously wounded by an Iranian missile barrage on Israel on Thursday morning. Be’er Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center sustained a direct hit, and impacts were also reported in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Cholon.
Four serious injuries were caused by a direct hit on a residential building in Cholon, south of Tel Aviv, according to Wolfson Medical Center. The hospital said it was also treating 19 people listed in mild condition.
Two people were seriously wounded in the direct hit in Ramat Gan.
As of Thursday afternoon, the number of injured stood at more than 200, including at least 147 in the greater Tel Aviv region and around 60 in Beersheva. The figures include those injured while running to shelters, individuals suffering from anxiety, and hurt people who arrived independently at hospitals.
In addition to Wolfson and Soroka, victims were evacuated to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital), Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Rabin Medical Center Beilinson Campus in Petach Tikva, Yitzchak Shamir Medical Center (formerly Assaf Harofeh Medical Center) in Be’er Ya’akov, Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak, Assuta Medical Center in Ashdod and Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah.
Shrapnel severely damaged the home of former Health Minister Dan Naveh in Savyon, southeast of Ramat Gan. The president and CEO of Israel Bonds is on a fundraising trip in the United States, but he told Channel 12 News that his children were at home and survived unharmed.
“Our home suffered severe damage today. Thank God, the three children were together in the safe room and are OK; they were truly saved by a miracle. I was on a video call with the children when the explosion was heard—there were many moments of anxiety,” he said, adding, “We are in an important existential war, and our spirit is strong.”
The barrage, composed of some 30 ballistic missiles, was the heaviest launched by the Islamic Republic in nearly 48 hours.
Emergency teams were responding at several sites, searching for wounded and treating several individuals for minor injuries, according to the Magen David Adom emergency medical service. In total, 22 individuals with mild injuries were being transported to hospitals.
Following direct missile strikes on residential buildings in central Israel, United Hatzalah volunteers provided initial treatment to three women in serious condition, two men in moderate condition, and more than 50 additional people who sustained mild injuries, including many suffering from emotional shock.
Officials from the IDF Home Front Command surveyed the damage at the impact site in Holon, with Home Front Command head Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo praising the actions of local residents.
“This incident is an exceptional example of civilian behavior—the civilians heard the alert, went down to the shelter, and that saved their lives,” Milo said.
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that a suspected leak of hazardous materials on one of the floors of Soroka Medial Center was being investigated and that the area was being evacuated; however, it was later reported that a dangerous leak had been ruled out.
“There has been damage to the hospital and extensive damage in various areas. We are currently assessing the damage, including injuries,” the Soroka spokesperson said, requesting that people not come to the medical center at this time and stating that further updates would be provided as soon as possible.
According to reports, part of the Soroka complex had been evacuated a day before Thursday’s strike by a special order of the Health Ministry, including the floor hit by the missile.
“Just yesterday, they evacuated the old surgical building, which today took a direct hit. It’s a great miracle,” a doctor at Soroka told Kan News.
Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso called the Soroka strike “an act of terror” that crosses a red line.
“It is a war crime by the Iranian regime, deliberately targeting innocent civilians and medical teams dedicated to saving lives. The Health Ministry was prepared in advance, and thanks to the immediate actions we took, a major disaster was averted,” said Buso.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the Iranian regime “Nazis who launch missiles at hospitals, at the elderly, and at children.” If the regime had nuclear weapons, it would deploy them “without even thinking for a second,” he added.
Israeli security and rescue personnel at the scene after a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit in Ramat Gan, June 19, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.
He called “Operation Rising Lion,” the IDF campaign in Iran, “the most just campaign Israel has ever embarked on in its history.
“I embrace the citizens of Israel and strengthen the hands of the prime minister and my colleagues in the Cabinet during these days. We are all united—to remove this threat once and for all, until the end and until absolute victory! The people of Israel live,” Ben-Gvir said.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin noted in a Thursday afternoon press briefing that Soroka serves more than one million Israelis of all backgrounds.
“Iran targeting civilian centers with ballistic missiles is no surprise for us,” Defrin said, adding that the regime in Tehran has long declared its intent to destroy Israel and has now launched over 450 ballistic missiles and hundreds of UAVs at the Jewish state in less than a week.
Defrin emphasized that Israel’s ongoing military operations are focused on eliminating “an existential threat that endangers global security,” targeting Iranian nuclear weapons facilities, missile launchers and military sites.
“We cannot—and will not—allow this regime to obtain nuclear weapons or expand its missile arsenal,” he said. “And we will prevail.” JNS
{Matzav.com}