Missile Strike Aftermath: BGU Campus and Community
Missile Strike Aftermath: BGU Campus and Community
July 1, 2025
Prof. Ehud Ohana’s destroyed lab at BGU
Ynetnews—The direct hit by an Iranian missile on Beer-Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center last week marked the start of a devastating wave of rocket attacks across the southern city, leaving residents emotionally shaken and entire neighborhoods in ruins. For many, the moment the hospital — a symbol of life-saving care — was struck, the psychological toll was immediate. “When the place that’s meant to heal you is hit, something deep breaks inside,” said one resident who was evacuated from his home.
The attack culminated in tragedy on Tuesday, when a missile slammed into a reinforced shelter in the city, killing four people: Corporal Eitan Zachs, his mother, Michal, 50, his girlfriend Noa Boguslavsky, 18, from Arad, and their neighbor Naomi Shaanan, 73.
Soroka, the region’s main hospital, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) partner, serving some 700,000 people, sustained catastrophic damage. The old surgical wing, which took a direct hit, resembled “a scene from an end-of-the-world movie,” said Dr. Yarden Nevo, the hospital’s deputy director.
Eight hospital staff members lost their homes. Nearby BGU was also hit hard: 50 faculty members were left homeless, 48 students were affected, six research labs were destroyed, and another nine were severely damaged. The damage to the campus is estimated in the tens — if not hundreds — of millions of shekels.
Tamar Setter, a postdoctoral student and daughter of one of the victims, described the reality in the university’s student village in the Ramat neighborhood: “My husband works at the university. From day one, they supported us. But this is a new reality. There’s so much bureaucracy, and we still don’t have a permanent housing solution. I was so worried about my family in central Israel, but the worst hit was right here.”
Roughly 700 residents have been registered at Beer-Sheva’s evacuation center and relocated to hotels in the city, the Dead Sea, and the Ashlim Center. Even the Leonardo Hotel and student dorms have been converted into temporary shelters. “These strikes are on a completely different scale than what we’ve seen before,” said Mayor Rubik Danilovich. “We’re dealing with a much wider front. Housing isn’t the issue — it’s the uncertainty, the sense of the future.”
Amid the devastation, there have been sparks of hope. Over 100 babies were born at Soroka during the attacks. “In darkness, we light a flame,” said Dr. Eyal Sheiner, Head of the maternity ward and BGU Professor, “Each birth is a victory. A message: We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”
For more resources and ways to support, visit: a4bgu.org/recoveryresilience
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