Israel allocates $110 million to rebuild Beersheba hospital damaged in Iranian missile attack

The Israeli government has allocated NIS 360 million ($110 million) to rebuild the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which was severely damaged in an Iranian missile attack in June. It is one of Israel’s most important hospitals and the largest in the southern part of the country. 

Dr. Eitan Wertheim, the CEO of Israel’s Clalit Health Services, which owns the Soroka facility, welcomed the government’s decision to secure funds for the reconstruction of the hospital. 

“From the moment the missile struck, Clalit and Soroka worked tirelessly to restore the hospital’s operations. We welcome the government’s decision to repair the severe damage and strengthen the hospital for the years ahead, in light of the many challenges it faces in both routine times and emergencies,” Wertheim stated.

Meanwhile, Canadian Israeli billionaire and philanthropist Sylvan Adams announced that he would donate an additional $100 million for the rebuilding of the Soroka hospital. Adams stressed that he seeks to transform the hospital into a leading medical hub in the Middle East. 

“The Soroka Medical Center is a cornerstone of resilience and growth in the Negev and the South,” Adams explained. “From the very place that was directly and deliberately targeted by missiles, we will build a beacon of medicine, progress and hope. Our answer to hatred and destruction is simple: we choose life. That is the secret strength of the Jewish people." 

“I am making this contribution as a proud Jew and as an Israeli who loves his country with all his heart and soul,” Adams explained. “Soroka’s sacred mission is to save lives and care for people. I thank its heroic staff who continued to work professionally and compassionately under missile fire. You represent the best of Israel."

Adam’s generous donation means that the budget for rebuilding the hospital has nearly doubled. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Adams, calling his donation “a tremendous response to the attack we suffered and a great gift to the Negev and the people of Israel.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich emphasized the central role the Soroka hospital plays in Israeli society. 

“The Soroka Medical Center is Israel’s front line of healthcare in the South,” Smotrich said. “This investment is not just about repairing damage. It is a statement of our commitment to the Negev and to reducing the gap between the center and the periphery."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog who visited the hospital after the Iranian missile attack in June, stressed that “the destruction and devastation caused by an Iranian missile fired indiscriminately... is a war crime!." 

While the Iranian missile caused severe damage to parts of the hospital, no patients were killed because Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov ordered an evacuation ahead of the strike. 

Responding the government’s commitment to rebuild the hospital Siman Tov assessed that the Soroka hospital “is not only a hospital but a symbol of the strength of Israel’s public health system and the spirit of the Negev’s residents. After months of hardship and a direct strike, we are now restoring its strength.”

Over 300 hospital beds are currently unavailable in the hospital due to the Iranian strike. Following the Iranian attack, some patients at the hospital were transferred to a medical rehabilitation facility. 

After receiving the promise of the funds from the government and Adams for rebuilding the hospital, the Soroka Director Prof. Shlomi Codish expressed optimism that the hospital “will emerge stronger, combining cutting-edge infrastructure, research and innovation to deliver world-class medicine and ensure the Negev’s physical and moral renewal.”