Israel threatens Supreme Leader Khamenei after Iranian missiles injured 240

Hostilities between Israel and Iran ricocheted sharply on Thursday, with Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, claiming that the continued existence of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, constitutes a direct challenge to Israel’s national objectives.

This came after a fresh wave of Iranian missile attacks that left at least 240 people injured after striking a major hospital in southern Israel and residential buildings in Tel Aviv.

Quoting Israel’s defence minister, the Associated Press reported: “The military has been instructed and knows that to achieve all of its goals, this man [Khamenei] absolutely should not continue to exist.”

In a further response, Israeli forces carried out fresh strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, targeting the Arak heavy water reactor—a key component of Iran’s sprawling nuclear programme.

However, Iranian state television reported that the facility had been evacuated before the strike, and assured the public that “there is no radiation danger whatsoever.”

In a related development, feelers from the White House point to strong indications that former U.S. President Donald Trump may decide on whether or not to authorise direct military strikes on Iran within the next two weeks. Sources say Trump still believes there is a “substantial” chance that negotiations could deliver on U.S. and Israeli demands concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Meanwhile, tensions remain high in Gaza, where an Israeli airstrike on Shati Camp in the north killed 19 people, including three children and five women, and injured at least 70 others. This was made known by Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa Hospital, in an interview with the Associated Press. He said the airstrike had targeted a group of civilians in the area.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also reported that widespread bombardment, shelling, and shooting had continued across Gaza, even among civilians seeking food aid.

Hospitals are buckling under pressure from the influx of injured people. In Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital has exceeded its patient capacity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the hospital was holding more than twice its capacity, having received over 300 injured people on Wednesday alone, mostly from food distribution sites.