Israeli Hospitals Retreat Underground as Iran Launches Missile Attack

Medical facilities across Israel moved patients to fortified underground wards as Iranian missiles targeted the country over the weekend. More than 200 patients were relocated to protected areas in Jerusalem hospitals alone, with staff implementing lessons learned from a previous 12-day conflict in June.

Medical centers throughout Israel quickly relocated patients to reinforced underground facilities over the weekend as Iranian missiles struck the nation, forcing healthcare workers to once again implement emergency wartime procedures.

More than 100 patients were rapidly moved to the basement hospital facility at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus’ Gandel Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem on Saturday night. Medical staff worked swiftly to transfer vulnerable patients to safety as missiles targeted Israeli territory.

Israeli healthcare facilities have experienced similar situations before. Following a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that required hospitals to shift essential services below ground while treating emergency patients under attack, medical personnel found themselves reactivating crisis response plans. During that previous escalation, Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba suffered a direct missile hit, though patients in the affected area had been evacuated to underground areas just hours earlier.

This recent incident allowed hospitals advance warning and additional preparation time. Dr. Moshe Simons, an Orthodox internal medicine physician working in the underground facility during the Sabbath, explained that when alerts first rang out in June signaling Israel’s strike on Iran, medical centers were uncertain about what would follow. This time around, he noted, the evacuation process proceeded much more efficiently.

“We were unsure about the duration,” Simons explained to The Media Line. “While it required eight hours to move patients downstairs previously, we accomplished it faster this time.”

According to Simons, the hospital had already identified which patients from various departments required underground relocation and their designated locations. Medical staff had incorporated knowledge gained from the earlier crisis, and he stated that “operations proceeded more smoothly.”

Approximately 100 patients occupied the underground area at the Mount Scopus facility, with a similar number at the affiliated Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem. Medical centers throughout Israel functioned under comparable circumstances.

However, obstacles persist. Simons identified the primary challenge as operating within a single expansive room. Patient beds are divided by blue and white fabric partitions, creating privacy issues for some individuals. Moving equipment and machinery through the narrow central walkway proves challenging but manageable. The enclosed environment offers limited illumination and lacks fresh air circulation. Consequently, one important takeaway from the previous crisis was providing staff with more frequent rest periods during quiet intervals, permitting outdoor breaks during their work shifts.

A young woman named Miriam, who accompanied her friend to the medical facility, described how her friend had been transferred from Ein Kerem to Mount Scopus as warning sirens activated. She characterized the circumstances as “less than perfect” and expressed hope for a brief duration. Nevertheless, she told The Media Line that staff handled everything with professionalism and stressed that her friend maintained positive spirits.

Following national protocols, hospitals nationwide are currently conducting only critical and limited scheduled and outpatient procedures.

During the night, one woman lost her life while more than two dozen others sustained injuries when an Iranian missile impacted central Israel. The fatality, a woman in her 40s, suffered critical wounds in the strike and died while being transported to medical care. Two additional victims remained in moderate condition Sunday morning. Reports indicated children were also wounded in the attack.

Following the initial day of missile strikes, most casualties were minor and happened as people rushed to protective shelters or were injured in related incidents. However, Israel is preparing for more severe injuries.

On March 1, the conflict’s second day, nine people died, 51 sustained injuries, and 11 remained missing after an Iranian missile struck a bomb shelter in Beit Shemesh. Later that same day, three individuals were wounded when a strike hit a Jerusalem roadway.

Throughout the 12-day war, 28 Israelis died and more than 3,000 people required hospitalization.

During the weekend, Magen David Adom (MDA) elevated its alert status to maximum level. All MDA ambulances, mobile intensive care units, emergency motorcycles, and rapid response vehicles operated with full crews, while all 39,000 staff members and volunteers were activated to deliver rapid and effective medical response to any situation.

ZAKA emergency services implemented identical measures. “During recent days, we performed thorough inspections of all emergency vehicles, updated equipment, and addressed logistical shortfalls,” stated ZAKA Vehicle Officer Erez Madmon. “I also ordered siren replacements to ensure they don’t resemble air-raid warnings, showing sensitivity to the public and recognizing the importance of maintaining calm and accuracy even during crises.”

MDA dedicated most of Saturday morning to relocating bedridden patients, those requiring ventilation, and others to secure facilities, utilizing specialized intensive care buses, mobile intensive care units, and ambulances. The emergency response organization also urged public blood donations, particularly from type O donors, for potential emergency use. Multiple blood collection sites opened to accept contributions.

The Health Ministry simultaneously released its own directives, requesting all mental health departments to maintain operations while enabling early patient discharge when appropriate. Healthcare organizations established support telephone lines to offer emotional assistance and help individuals manage stress, anxiety, tension, and other difficulties.

Elderly care facilities and rehabilitation hospitals received requests to consider early discharges and prepare space for potential broader emergencies.

At Assuta Ashdod hospital, however, operations continued normally. All sections, including the nursery, maternity and newborn department, neonatal and intensive care units, already possess complete protection and enable uninterrupted and secure care even during missile strikes, eliminating the need to relocate patients or halt treatment.

Assuta became the nation’s first fully fortified public hospital when it opened in 2017.

“Sirens sounded during my labor pains, but due to the protection, I didn’t need to relocate and stayed with my regular medical team,” said Daniela Cohen, who gave birth at Assuta on Saturday. “I remained in the same room with the same familiar team guiding me calmly and professionally. The experience felt completely secure, without unnecessary stress, and the security situation didn’t affect care continuity or this special moment.”

Despite the stress, there were also moments of peaceful contemplation within these facilities. On Saturday evening, a special Havdalah ceremony took place to mark the Sabbath’s conclusion at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

“Even during difficult times, both personally and medically, it was essential for us to stop briefly and perform Havdalah together with patients’ families and the dedicated teams who joined the effort and have been working extended hours to both treat patients and ensure their safety,” said Professor Philip Levin, director of general intensive care at the hospital. Six individuals injured in the Beit Shemesh missile attack on Sunday, including a four-year-old boy, were transported to Shaare Tzedek.