Middle East conflict update, live | Israel and Iran launch new crossfire attacks as the conflict enters its second week

Five minor injuries in southern Israel after another Iranian missile strike

Five people were slightly injured early Friday morning when a missile fired from Iran struck the town of Beersheba in the southern Negev Desert, where another projectile struck a hospital yesterday, according to Israeli emergency services Magen David Adom (MDA).

“Following the impact of the missile in the Negev, it landed near residential buildings. A six-story building suffered damage and destruction, and nearby apartments were also damaged,” reads a statement from the MDA. The emergency service said it treated five people with minor injuries at the scene due to the explosion, who suffered bruises, smoke inhalation, or anxiety. On Thursday, a missile reached Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, the main hospital in the south of the country, causing serious damage to one floor of the building and causing 72 minor injuries.

At around 5:48 a.m. local time (4:48 a.m. in mainland Spain), the Israeli army announced the new barrage of missiles heading for the country: "Recently, the Israel Defense Forces identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defense systems are working to intercept the threat," a military statement said. After that, the Israeli fire service only warned of one impact in the southern district of the country: the one recorded in Beersheba.

Between 2:57 and 3:13, defense systems also intercepted three drones fired from Iran in the Dead Sea area (east). First, a single drone, then a second wave of two. Hours earlier, around 12:20 a.m., they stopped another unmanned aerial vehicle in Haifa (north), a city that has been hit several times and is targeted by the Islamic Republic due to its key role in Israeli industry.

Israel began bombing Iran early Friday morning, a week ago today, highlighting the advances in the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and the threat posed to the country by its ballistic missile production.

Since then, its aircraft have attacked military infrastructure (air defense systems, ballistic missile depots, etc.) and nuclear plants (Natanz, Isfahan, and Furdu), but also senior members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and nuclear scientists.

In Iran, the attacks left at least 224 dead, according to the official count. A US-based Iranian NGO, Hrana, puts the death toll from Israeli bombing at 639, including 263 civilians. Meanwhile, in Israel, Iranian missile launches have killed 24 people, according to Israeli authorities. (Efe)