An Iranian missile hit Soroka Medical Center, the largest hospital in southern Israel in the city of Be’er Sheva, on Thursday. 

The missile strike caused “extensive damage,” but no serious injuries were reported. Most people in the hospital had already been evacuated before the attack, according to the Associated Press. However, the hospital building was reportedly in bad condition from the attack.

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“Smoke is still billowing, and there’s a potent smell of fire here at the Soroka Medical Center after the Iranian missile strike,” reported Natan Odenheimer of the New York Times. “An entire floor of the building that was hit has completely collapsed, and the surrounding structures have shattered windows.”

Sharren Haskel, deputy foreign minister for Israel, slammed Iran for firing on a hospital. He called the missile strike “criminal” and implored the world to “speak out.”

“Iran just hit Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva with a ballistic missile,” Haskel posted on X. “Not a military base. A hospital. This is the main medical center for Israel’s entire Negev region. Deliberate. Criminal. Civilian target. The world must speak out.”

Israel President Isaac Herzog criticized the attack on the hospital and highlighted that Soroka Medical Center treats people from all faiths, including Palestinians, who travel there for treatment. 

Herzog cited the attack on the hospital as an example of the “values” Israel is defending in the war, which is a reminder of “what’s truly at stake.”

“A baby in intensive care,” Herzog said in a social media post. “A mother by their bedside. A doctor rushing between beds. An elderly resident in a nursing home. These were some of the targets of Iran’s missile attacks on Israeli civilians this morning.”

“Soroka Hospital, located in Be’er Sheva, is one of Israel’s finest—serving the entire Negev region, caring for Israelis of all faiths and our neighbors, the Palestinians who come especially to be treated there,” he added. “Its devoted staff — Jews and Arabs — work side by side in extraordinary harmony, united by the mission to heal.”

“In moments like these, we are reminded of what’s truly at stake, and the values we are defending,” said Herzog.

Iran claimed the missile mistakenly hit the hospital, and its intended target was a military facility located near the hospital. However, the area has no military facilities, with the closest being the Southern Command base for the Israel Defense Forces located “over two kilometers away,” according to the Times of Israel.

Uriel Buso, Israel’s health minister, wasn’t buying Iran’s excuse and called the strike on the hospital “an act of terror.”

“The missile fired toward Soroka Medical Center is an act of terror and crosses a red line,” Buso said. “It is a war crime by the Iranian regime, deliberately targeting innocent civilians and medical teams dedicated to saving lives. The Health Ministry was prepared in advance, and thanks to the immediate actions we took, a major disaster was averted.”