Hostilities between Israel and Iran escalated sharply on Thursday, with Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, declaring that the continued existence of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, poses a direct obstacle to Israel’s national objectives.
This development followed a fresh wave of Iranian missile attacks that left at least 240 people injured after striking a major hospital in southern Israel and residential buildings in Tel Aviv.
Quoting Israel’s defence minister, the Associated Press reported: “The military has been instructed and knows that to achieve all of its goals, this man [Khamenei] absolutely should not continue to exist.”
In a further response, Israeli forces carried out fresh strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, targeting the Arak heavy water reactor—a key component of Iran’s sprawling nuclear programme.
However, Iranian state television reported that the facility had been evacuated before the strike, and assured the public that “there is no radiation danger whatsoever.”
In a related development, there are strong indications that former U.S. President Donald Trump may decide on whether or not to authorise direct military strikes on Iran within the next two weeks. Sources say Trump still believes there is a “substantial” chance that negotiations could deliver on U.S. and Israeli demands concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high in Gaza, where an Israeli airstrike on Shati Camp in the north killed 19 people, including three children and five women, and injured at least 70 others. This was disclosed by Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa Hospital, in an interview with the Associated Press. He said the airstrike had targeted a group of civilians in the area.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also reported that widespread bombardment, shelling, and shooting had continued across Gaza, even among civilians seeking food aid.
Hospitals are buckling under pressure from the influx of injured people. In Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital has exceeded its patient capacity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the hospital was holding more than twice its capacity, having received over 300 injured people on Wednesday alone, mostly from food distribution sites.
A WHO-supported tent initially set up for paediatric and surgical care has now been converted into an overcrowded trauma ward with 100 beds crammed into a space originally designed for 88 patients.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that 69 people, including two recovered bodies, were confirmed dead over 24 hours. An additional 221 injured individuals were received across hospitals in the territory. Since the war began in October 2023, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 55,706, with 130,101 others injured.
In southern Israel, staff at Soroka Medical Center confirmed that a portion of the hospital had been hit during the Iranian missile barrage. Fortunately, some of the most vulnerable patients had been relocated to the hospital basement earlier in the week.
During a visit to the basement, staff told the Associated Press that about 60 patients had been moved there. The space had previously functioned as a kindergarten for employees’ children.
Dr. Dana Braiman, speaking from the site, said the preemptive move likely saved lives. “The beds they were lying in are now gone,” she said.
The hospital is currently working to transfer more patients to nearby clinics as a precaution against future strikes. Staff say they are taking things “one hour at a time.”
In diplomatic circles, efforts are ongoing to de-escalate the growing regional conflict. Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday. The two reiterated their shared stance that “Iran must not have the atomic bomb,” according to a statement from Italy’s Foreign Ministry.
Tajani also stressed the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza and the full restoration of humanitarian aid. Rubio agreed and confirmed that “this is the intention of the Trump administration.”
