Demolition of the surgical building of the Soroka hospital, damaged by an Iranian missile, has begun

Nine months after a 12-day war in which the Soroka Hospital surgical complex in Be’er Sheva was directly hit by an Iranian ballistic missile, controlled demolition of the building has begun to replace it with a bomb-proof hospital tower.

According to Walla, demolition of the surgical complex will be carried out to the second floor level – thus removing the most damaged part of the building. Preliminary work has been carried out, including strengthening the ground floor, strengthening the staff cafeteria and protecting adjacent buildings, to ensure the normal continuation of work within the complex.

The surgical complex building was the first built when the hospital opened in 1959. On June 19, 2025, there was a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile, the most severe attack ever to hit a hospital in Israel.

As a result of the hit, the building, which housed departments, laboratories, operating rooms, specialized units and offices, suffered serious damage, and nearby buildings and vital infrastructure were also damaged. There were no casualties – shortly before the missile hit, all personnel and patients were moved to a protected space.

The hospital restoration program will be divided into three stages: the infrastructure has already been restored, and the affected departments have been transferred to other premises. Construction projects planned for the medium term include operating rooms and two new inpatient floors; and the long-term plan is to build a secure hospital tower, which will include secure operating rooms and catheterization rooms, departments and ancillary services, as well as an underground emergency hospital.