Tel Aviv [Israel], June 19 (ANI): The Israel Health Ministry on Thursday reported that 271 individuals were admitted to hospitals after a wave of Iranian ballistic missile strikes earlier in the day, with four in serious condition and 16 in moderate condition. A total of 220 were reported in good condition, while 24 people were treated for acute anxiety. Seven others are undergoing medical evaluation, and their condition has yet to be determined, according to The Times of Israel.
At Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which suffered a direct missile strike, 71 individuals sustained minor injuries and one was treated for anxiety. Most injuries occurred while people were rushing to protective shelters.
Since the start of Operation Rising Lion, a total of 2,345 injured people have been admitted to hospitals: 21 in serious condition, 87 moderate, 2,105 in good condition, and 99 treated for anxiety. While many of the injured have since been discharged, 106 remain hospitalized, and 149 are currently being treated in emergency rooms.
The Health Ministry has urged the public to assist elderly neighbors in locating the nearest safe shelters and practicing how to reach them quickly, ideally before sirens are triggered, to minimize accident risks. To bolster mental health support, health maintenance organizations and resilience centers have been instructed to offer remote counseling for anxiety victims. The National Resilience Therapeutic Center helpline—dial 5486—is operating 24/7.
Meanwhile, tensions in the region continue to escalate. A Hezbollah operative involved in restoring military infrastructure was killed in a drone strike in Houla, southern Lebanon, marking the third such incident in less than 24 hours.
IDF Military Intelligence Directorate chief Major General Shlomi Binder called for relentless pursuit of Iranian military commanders, referencing the recent elimination of Major General Ali Shadmani, Iran’s senior-most military officer. “We must hunt them down wherever they flee,” Binder told soldiers, citing precision strikes that killed Shadmani and other key figures in Iran’s military leadership. According to IDF, its opening round of strikes killed 30 Iranian commanders, including eight top generals and at least nine nuclear scientists.
As the conflict continues, Israel’s Tourism Ministry has called on the government to facilitate the departure of foreign tourists stranded in the country due to ongoing hostilities. In a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, Tourism Ministry Director-General Dani Shahar requested that repatriation flights used to bring Israeli citizens home also carry outbound tourists to their countries of origin.
“Tourists are in distress, stranded beyond their planned stay, often under financial and emotional strain,” the letter stated, stressing that enabling their safe exit would reflect positively on Israel. Over 22,000 tourists have registered via the ministry’s new digital platform to be considered for repatriation flights once clearance is given. (ANI)
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