Iranian missile strike injures nearly 100 at Israeli hospital

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, a missile launched by Iran struck the Soroka Medical Center in Southern Israel, significantly damaging the facility and injuring close to 100 patients and staff. The explosion caused serious damage to the hospital's infrastructure, including the surgical wards, pharmacies, and laboratories, resulting in the suspension of most medical services. The hospital reported that only 350 of its 1,200 beds remained operational after the attack, severely impacting healthcare availability in the region. Medical teams from Israel's emergency services, Magen David Adom, expressed relief that casualties were not catastrophic, attributing this fortune to prior evacuations of pivotal hospital areas. The incident was part of a series of Iranian airstrikes targeting civilian infrastructures amidst an ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which had escalated significantly in recent weeks. The targeting of the hospital raised questions about the accountability of such strikes on civilian facilities, and no major human rights organizations condemned the act. Only one group, Churches for Middle East Peace, issued a statement opposing the missile strike while also criticizing Israel for its actions in Gaza. Many prominent human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, called this airstrike into question but refused to comment directly on the attack. They had been more vocal against Israel's military actions in Gaza, bringing attention to allegations of war crimes and other human rights abuses in that context. The lack of condemnation from these groups highlighted a possible double standard in their responses to violence in the region, with critiques often aimed exclusively at Israel while downplaying or overlooking Iranian aggression. This incident sparked a broader debate regarding ethics in warfare, the protection of civilian life, and the implications of military engagements that directly affect hospitals. It underscored the ongoing humanitarian concerns in the region, where civilians bear the brunt of escalating military actions. Furthermore, with only a partial functioning capacity at Soroka Medical Center, the local community continued to face a dire healthcare crisis intensified by the attack, showcasing the devastating effects of such geopolitical strife on ordinary people.