Israel Issues Stark Warning to Iran Following Missile Strike on Hospital

Defence Minister Katz Declares Ayatollah Khamenei "Shouldn’t Continue to Exist" as Tensions Soar

In a sharply escalatory statement, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Thursday declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “shouldn’t continue to exist” following a direct Iranian missile strike on Soroka Hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

The remarks came in the aftermath of a large-scale missile barrage launched by Iran, which included dozens of ballistic missiles. The early morning attack set parts of Soroka Medical Center ablaze and caused further damage in multiple locations, including towns near Tel Aviv.

Addressing reporters in Holon, near the capital, Defence Minister Katz accused Khamenei of personally ordering attacks on civilian infrastructure. “Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed — he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals,” Katz said. “He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also delivered a strong response, vowing retaliation and holding Tehran directly accountable for the attack.

“This morning, Iran’s terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital and at civilians in the centre of the country,” Netanyahu posted on X. “We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price.”

The attack on a medical facility marks a significant escalation in the already volatile conflict between the two nations, and has drawn widespread condemnation internationally. As Israel weighs its next steps, the region braces for the possibility of further military confrontation.