Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Thursday compared Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to a “modern Hitler” and said he “can no longer be allowed to exist”, after a major Iranian missile barrage struck several Israeli cities, including a direct hit on Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.

The latest escalation marks a significant turning point in the ongoing conflict, with both sides trading accusations and stepping up retaliatory actions.

Standing at a missile impact site in Holon, near Tel Aviv, Katz said, “Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed — he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.”

His comments followed one of the heaviest missile barrages in recent days, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reporting that between 20 and 30 ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian territory around 7:03am Thursday morning. At least seven confirmed impact sites were reported, including three in the Gush Dan region and one directly hitting Soroka Hospital.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strikes, vowing harsh retaliation. “This morning, Iran’s terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva and at civilians in the centre of the country,” he said in a post on X. “We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price.”

Hospital officials confirmed that the old surgical wing of Soroka Medical Center suffered substantial damage. Emergency responders evacuated patients and staff, while some individuals had to be rescued from an elevator that was damaged in the strike. At least 50 people were reported injured across various locations, with several in critical condition.

According to Magen David Adom (MDA), three individuals were seriously wounded in Holon, and dozens more sustained minor injuries in other impacted areas. An 80-year-old man was reportedly in critical condition due to shrapnel wounds.

The Iranian missile attack, which Tehran dubbed the fourteenth phase of Operation True Promise III, marked a significant military escalation. Iranian state media, citing the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), claimed the use of Sejjil two-stage super-heavy ballistic missiles in the strike, calling it a “precision assault” targeting military and intelligence-linked sites.

Unverified footage circulating online appeared to show Israeli civilians running toward bomb shelters as air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv and other cities. The Israeli censorship board has restricted media reporting, but regional observers say the scale and success of the strike have raised questions about the effectiveness of Israel’s multi-layered air defence systems.

The IRGC, in a statement issued after the attack, claimed Israeli air defences were “depleted” following recent retaliatory strikes, and said Iranian drones and missiles now “control the skies” over what it described as the “occupied land of Palestine.”

The statement issued further warnings to Israeli civilians, referred to as “settlers,” telling them they now faced the choice of “slow death in underground bunkers or return to the countries from where their ancestors came.” The IRGC also referenced earlier strikes this week, which they claim destroyed an Israeli military intelligence centre affiliated with Mossad and a base for Israeli fighter jets.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, in a separate statement, said the Iranian nation would “firmly stand” against any imposed war and “never surrender to any form of imposition.”

Thursday’s missile barrage is the latest in a string of high-profile escalations between the two countries. Tehran has framed the operation as a response to what it termed “unprovoked Israeli aggression,” including the assassination of several high-ranking Iranian officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians — among them women and children.

Israeli forces have responded with retaliatory strikes of their own. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the IDF has targeted Iranian-linked sites in Tehran, Yemen, and Syria in recent days. On Thursday, reports also emerged that Israel had struck Iran’s Arak nuclear facility and a weapons development site, though Iranian officials have yet to confirm the claims.