Jerusalem: The military showdown between Israel and Iran intensified dramatically overnight as both nations exchanged missile fire, signaling a dangerous escalation in the week-long conflict that has already reverberated across the region.
On the seventh day of hostilities, Iranian missiles pierced Israeli air defenses, striking several targets and injuring at least 89 people, according to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom. Among the hardest-hit locations was Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, where a missile caused substantial structural damage. While no deaths have been reported so far, the psychological toll on the civilian population is mounting.
Iranian state media claimed the attack was aimed at an Israeli intelligence outpost and a military command facility located near the hospital part of what Tehran calls a justified response to Israeli provocations.
In swift retaliation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a severe response, declaring that Tehran's leadership “will pay a heavy price” for its aggression. As a potential prelude to strikes on strategic infrastructure, Israel issued urgent evacuation advisories to residents of the Iranian cities Khondab and Arak, both known for their nuclear installations. Warnings were broadcast in both Arabic and Farsi, underscoring the seriousness of the threat.
Although Israel confirmed its own missile launches late Wednesday, casualty figures from Iran remain unclear, as authorities in Tehran have yet to issue an official statement on the aftermath.
The crisis is also compounding the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, where at least 18 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes early Thursday. Local civil defense teams said the victims had gathered near an aid distribution center in central Gaza when the area was struck, highlighting the growing risks to civilians amid the spiraling conflict.
As the situation deteriorates, regional actors are moving toward coordinated action. Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has proposed an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul this weekend. The aim is to build a unified regional strategy in response to the rapidly escalating violence.
From Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a grave warning, stating that any direct U.S. military involvement would ignite “another terrible spiral of escalation,” potentially dragging global powers into a full-scale confrontation.
With missile salvos now targeting critical infrastructure and civilian zones, and diplomatic tensions running high, the Israel-Iran conflict appears poised to spill over into a wider regional war unless a breakthrough in diplomacy or international pressure halts the descent into further violence.