Iran Strikes Israeli Hospital in Retaliation as Israel Bombs Nuclear Sites
In a dramatic escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, Iranian forces have launched missile strikes on an Israeli hospital in what Tehran described as a “proportional retaliation” to Israel’s earlier bombardment of key nuclear facilities inside Iran.
The tit-for-tat military actions have deepened fears of a full-blown regional war, with the international community calling for immediate de-escalation.
Iran’s state-affiliated media, Tasnim News Agency, confirmed on Thursday morning that Iranian ballistic missiles targeted strategic sites in central Israel, including a hospital facility in the city of Ashdod. The outlet said the strike was a “direct response” to Israel’s unprecedented airstrikes on Iran’s Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities hours earlier.
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According to Israeli media outlet Haaretz, the hospital hit was the Assuta Medical Center in Ashdod. Authorities confirmed that while the emergency wing sustained structural damage, the facility had already been evacuated in anticipation of retaliatory strikes. No casualties have been officially reported as of the time of filing this report.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in a posted on its official X handle, confirmed the overnight air operations inside Iranian territory, saying the strikes were aimed at “neutralizing threats posed by Iran’s accelerated nuclear enrichment program.”
Videos circulated on social media showed emergency services responding to the aftermath of the missile strike in Ashdod, with debris scattered around hospital premises and ambulances ferrying patients to nearby safe zones.
PRNigeria will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as developments unfold.
By PRNigeria
Smokes raises from a building of the hospital complex on Thursday. Photograph: Léo Corrêa/AP