Day 7: Iran-Israel War Intensifies as Missile Hits Israeli Hospital, Tel Aviv Struck Amid Nuclear Retaliation

Iran’s missile strike on an Israeli hospital intensified the conflict, prompting further Israeli retaliation targeting nuclear sites in Natanz. Dozens were injured as Tel Aviv and Beersheba suffered direct hits. While Iran denied deliberately targeting civilians, international leaders, including China and the UK, called urgently for de-escalation and peace.

The seventh day of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel witnessed some of the most intense strikes yet, as Tehran launched a fresh missile barrage across Israel just hours after Israeli forces bombed a critical Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz. The tit-for-tat escalation has triggered mounting international concern, with civilian casualties rising and key infrastructure sustaining damage.

Early Thursday, an Iranian missile struck the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, southern Israel’s largest hospital. Black smoke billowed over the city as emergency personnel evacuated patients and staff from the facility. The missile hit an older surgery building that had reportedly been vacated, yet the impact caused “extensive damage” and wounded multiple people, according to Israeli officials.

Simultaneously, Iranian missiles slammed into a high-rise residential building in Tel Aviv and several other locations in central Israel. Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency response agency, reported at least 40 people injured in the strikes.

Israel responded forcefully, targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure it claims is involved in nuclear weapons development. The Natanz site, central to Iran's nuclear ambitions, was among those struck, although Iranian media reported only superficial damage and no radiation leaks.

Iran defended its strikes by stating that the intended target was an Israeli military installation, not the hospital. It also launched scathing criticism of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, accusing it of aligning with Israel’s “aggression.”

Also Read: Israel-Iran Conflict Escalates: Hospital and Nuclear Site Hit in Crossfire

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Iran would pay “the full price” for attacking civilian areas. In response to the crisis, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy traveled to Washington for emergency talks, while China renewed its call for de-escalation and offered to mediate peace efforts across the region.

With nuclear facilities in the crosshairs and civilian casualties mounting, the path to peace grows narrower by the hour.