Iranian Missiles Hit Hospital After Israel Struck Arak Nuclear Facility

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Exchanges of military strikes between Iran and Israel entered their seventh day on Thursday, June 19, 2025, with no sign of abating. Instead, tensions between the two countries are escalating with a series of large-scale attacks from both sides.

On Wednesday, the intensity of the attacks from Tel Aviv and Tehran momentarily subsided, but it was a mere moment of reprieve, and the conflict is seeing a renewed intensity the following day, with expanding strategic targets and increased civilian casualties.

Israel launched an airstrike on the Arak nuclear facility in Iran. In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles that hit several buildings, including a hospital in southern Israel and the stock exchange building in Tel Aviv.

Israeli Strikes Hit Nuclear Facility

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, Israel launched an airstrike on the heavy water reactor in Arak, one of Iran's main nuclear research centers. In its statement, Israel claimed that this attack was part of a broader operation to weaken Iran's nuclear ambitions, which they considered an existential threat to their existence.

According to a report from Times of Israel, citing the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), last night's wave of attacks involved 40 fighter jets dropping 100 munitions. In addition to the Arak reactor, the attacks also targeted dozens of Iranian military facilities in Tehran and other cities.

The IDF issued a warning before the attack on the Arak reactor and had urged the residents in the surrounding areas to evacuate. "The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent  the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapon development," the media quoted an Israeli military official as saying.

The Arak heavy water reactor had previously attracted international attention because of its technology's ability to produce plplutonium, onef the key components in making nuclear weapons.

Various media outlets have quoted Western intelligence sources stating that this attack may have caused significant damage to the reactor's infrastructure, although it's unclear whether radiation contamination occurred as a result of the attack. This is the sixth attack carried out by Israel since the conflict began on June 13.

Iran's Retaliation

As an immediate response to Israel's attack on Arak, Iran launched a wave of ballistic missile and kamikaze drone attacks on Israel's territory. One of the main targets was the southern region of Israel, where several missiles managed to penetrate the Iron Dome air defense system and hit a hospital in Beersheba.

According to an official report from the Israel Ministry of Health, at least 12 people were injured in this incident, including patients, medical staff, and visiting families. The damage to the hospital building was quite severe, necessitating the relocation of emergency services to another facility.

According to Al Jazeera, Iran's attack damaged four buildings in Tel Aviv. In addition to the hospital, the Israeli stock exchange building was also hit and damaged. Dozens of people were injured in the attack, but there were no fatalities.

According to Ori Goldberg, an analyst quoted by Al Jazeera, Israel was trying to send a message that Iran targets hospitals as part of its war campaign.

"Of course, Israelis target hospitals as well. It’s important to mention that there really are very sensitive installations and headquarters very near to the hospital because Israel places its military headquarters in the midst of civilian neighborhoods and towns," he said.

IRNA, Iran's state news agency, published Iran's official statement that the primary targets of the missile attack were the main intelligence and intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters and the military intelligence camp at Gav-Yam Technology Park, located next to Soroka Hospital. Irna claimed that the hospital only suffered minor damage from the missile shock wave.

What Are the Casualty Figures for the Israel-Iran War?

A report from the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group stated that Israel's attacks in Iran had killed at least 639 people and injured 1,329 others. Of the death toll, 263 were civilians and 154 were security personnel.

However, there is no comparable data for this statement. Iran does not regularly disclose casualty figures during the conflict and is known to have downplayed the number of casualties in the past. Their latest update, published on Monday, recorded 224 deaths and 1,277 injuries. In Israel, the death toll is estimated to be around 24 people with hundreds injured.

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