Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), issued a strong statement on Thursday condemning Iran’s ongoing attacks against Israel, including the recent missile strike on Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.
Addressing media, Defrin said,
“Early this morning, an Iranian ballistic missile directly hit the Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva. This hospital serves over one million Israelis, including Bedouins, Jews, Christians, and Arabs alike.”
Defrin revealed that over the past six days, Iran had launched more than 450 ballistic missiles and hundreds of UAVs at Israeli territory. He described the hospital attack as part of Iran’s longstanding agenda to destroy the State of Israel, a threat Iran has repeatedly vocalised over decades.
“Iran targeting civilian centers with ballistic missiles is no surprise for us. These aren’t just words. This is exactly why we cannot and will not allow this regime to obtain nuclear weapons or expand its missile arsenal,” Defrin warned.
Emphasising Israel’s military response, the IDF Spokesperson said that Israeli forces are actively conducting strikes on Iranian nuclear weapons facilities, missile launchers, and military infrastructure to neutralise what he described as an existential threat to both Israel and global security.
“Iran targets civilians. We target an existential threat that endangers global security. And we will prevail,” he said.
The Israeli Embassy in India also issued a sharp response:
“The Iranian regime attacked Soroka Hospital in Beersheba with a ballistic missile – this is a major medical center. We will not sit quietly. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our people.”
In retaliation, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a major offensive on western Iran, targeting ballistic missile infrastructure and Iranian military personnel, reported The Times of Israel. The strikes involved nearly 20 Israeli fighter jets and included the destruction of trucks carrying ballistic missiles at a launch site.
The intensifying hostilities mark a severe escalation in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, drawing international concern over the risk of broader regional instability.