Iran is escalating its bellicose rhetoric in an attempt to frighten Israelis into leaving the country.
On Wednesday night, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement claiming Iran was opening “the gates of hell” upon Israelis.
“You must either choose a slow death in the hellish life of shelters or save yourselves from the 24-hour missile barrage and flee the lands usurped by your ancestors as soon as possible so that you may survive,” the command of the IRGC warned.
Iran’s Supreme Leader has also continued to threaten the existence of the Jewish State. Writing on his Hebrew-language X social media account, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “We must act with force against the terrorist Zionist entity,” adding, “We will not be merciful toward the Zionists.”
But the IRGC promise of round-the-clock “hell” has not materialized. Israelis are hardly facing a “24-hour missile barrage,” despite sustaining serious injuries and property damage in the attacks that are launched.
As of 12 noon, there were no missile attacks from Iran after Thursday morning’s 7:17 am barrage of 30 “heavy” ballistic missiles, raising the question of just how many such attacks the Islamic Republic can carry out, and how frequently they can be launched.
Nevertheless, the early morning barrage did indeed inflict heavy damage and wounded more than 100 people. Be’er Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center sustained a direct hit, causing major damage to most of the hospital’s buildings but no fatalities. The area around Israel’s Stock Exchange in Ramat Gan and residential areas in Holon were also hit.
“Just yesterday they evacuated the old surgical building and today it took a direct hit,” a doctor at Soroka told Israel’s KAN 11 News public broadcaster following the attack. “It’s a great miracle.”
Iran claimed the missile was aimed at “the Israeli occupation army’s command and intelligence headquarters, specifically the military intelligence base located in the Gav-Yam technologies park next to Soroka,” IRNA reported.
According to Magen David Adom (MDA), 129 people were injured in Thursday morning’s heavy barrage: 40 in Be’er Sheva (Soroka) and 89 in the Dan region, at the sites of the direct hits in Holon and Ramat Gan.
All the victims in Be’er Sheva sustained minor injuries. The hospital has urged patients to refrain from coming to the hospital for anything other than life-threatening medical emergencies.
Of the 89 people injured in the Dan region, three were seriously injured, two moderately injured, and 40 had minor shrapnel wounds. In addition, 31 people were injured while racing for cover and 13 were defined as panic victims.
The wounded were evacuated to Sheba Tel Hashomer, Schneider, Beilinson, Ichilov, Assaf Harofeh, Wolfson, Meir, Mayanei Hayeshua, Assuta Ashdod and Barzilai Medical Centers.
