Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to exact a “full price” from Iran after a ballistic missile struck Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel’s largest hospital, injuring multiple patients, doctors, and staff.

The direct hit, part of a barrage of around 30 Iranian missiles, caused significant damage to the hospital’s older surgical building. Emergency services have been limited to critical cases, with Israel’s Home Front Command assessing the site for structural safety.

“This morning, Iran’s terrorist tyrants launched missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and at civilian populations in central Israel. We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant accused Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of directly authorising the strike, calling it a “war crime of the most serious kind.”

“The cowardly Iranian dictator sits in a fortified bunker and targets hospitals and residential buildings. Khamenei will be held accountable,” Gallant posted.

He added that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been ordered to escalate strikes on strategic and government targets within Iran.

The missile strike has drawn sharp condemnation from Israel’s medical and political communities. Zion Hagay, Chairman of the Israel Medical Association, described the attack as a blatant war crime and called for a strong international response.

“The world must look at Soroka Hospital to see what a real war crime looks like,” Hagay said. He credited hospital staff and emergency protocols for preventing a larger disaster.

The strike marks a dangerous escalation as the Israel-Iran conflict enters its seventh day, with no signs of de-escalation.