TEL AVIV, Israel – A significant barrage of Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel early Thursday, injuring at least 271 people and causing extensive damage, according to Israel’s Ministry of Health. In a brazen attack that has drawn international condemnation, a missile directly impacted a building at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, the country’s main southern hospital.

The Health Ministry reported that of the 271 individuals hospitalized, four are in serious condition and 16 are moderately injured. The remaining casualties sustained minor injuries or were treated for acute anxiety. At the Soroka Medical Center, 71 people were lightly injured, with most of the casualties occurring as people scrambled for shelter.

The missile strikes, which began in the predawn hours, targeted central and southern Israel, with impacts confirmed in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Holon, in addition to the hospital in Beersheba. In Ramat Gan, a missile slammed into a residential area, causing significant damage to several buildings. Emergency services were on the scene, treating the wounded and assessing the structural integrity of the affected buildings.

Iranian state media claimed the strike in Beersheba targeted a nearby military intelligence base, not the hospital itself. However, Israeli officials have vehemently denied this, labeling the attack on the medical facility a “war crime.”

“The tyrants in Tehran will pay the full price for this aggression,” a visibly angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “Targeting a hospital is a new low, and it will not go unanswered.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiment, stating, “This is a barbaric act by a terrorist regime. We will hold the Iranian leadership accountable.”

The attacks mark a major escalation in the ongoing shadow war between Israel and Iran. In recent days, tensions have soared following a series of unattributed strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Iran has vowed to retaliate, and Thursday’s missile barrage appears to be a direct fulfillment of that threat.

Eyewitnesses in the targeted cities described scenes of chaos and panic as air raid sirens wailed and explosions rocked the early morning. “We were woken by the siren, and then a huge blast shook our entire building,” said a resident of Holon. “The windows shattered, and there was debris everywhere.”

Hospitals across the country have activated their emergency protocols, and the Magen David Adom ambulance service has been operating at its highest alert level. The Israeli military has not yet released a full official statement regarding the extent of the attacks or its planned response.

The international community is closely watching the rapidly deteriorating situation, with many world leaders urging restraint and de-escalation from both sides. However, with the rhetoric from both Jerusalem and Tehran growing increasingly bellicose, fears of a wider, more direct conflict are mounting.