Israeli hospitals move operations underground during Iran war escalation

Tel Aviv, Israel: The Israeli Ministry of Health reported on Monday that 777 people had been evacuated to hospitals since the start of the crisis A joint Israeli-American war against Iran.

At least 10 people were killed directly as a result of Iranian missile attacks on Israel, and two died while heading to shelters.

Since the fighting began on Saturday morning, hospitals across the country have restructured their operations, moving patients underground to maintain their functions.

Rabin Medical Center’s underground hospital, 60 meters underground. (Amelie Boutboul for Fox News Digital.)

“Look, this is a child,” Professor Efrat Bron-Harlev, CEO of Schneider Children’s Medical Center, told Fox News Digital, pointing to a young patient. “This cart is his artificial heart. He was living here while waiting for a heart transplant. He moved into the underground area with 119 other children. This isn’t just a hospital – it’s his home.”

Schneider Children’s Medical Center So far, it has treated three children who were injured as a result of the war. Bron-Harlev said the biggest challenge was continuing to care for all current patients as the sirens sounded across the country.

All patients were moved to level minus one. Standing in the corridor, Bron Harlev explained that if a missile hit at that moment, those present would have to move behind the heavy doors of the reinforced security zones.

Once the fortified section is closed, it is designed to withstand even a direct missile strike and continue to operate as a single unit for a limited time, she said. “We have electricity, which is provided by large batteries located in another protected area, in addition to oxygen and air,” she added. “How long we can stay there depends on the extent of the damage to the building as a whole. A catastrophic hit on the oxygen tanks, for example, will affect how long we can stay there.”

Surgeons Kinneret Tenenbaum and Lior Friedrich and anesthesiologist Lior Barak perform their first cesarean section amid the war with Iran. (The official spokesman for Rabin Medical Center)

Lessons learned from the 12-day war in June 2025 include the creation of a separate unit for Bone marrow transplant patients With independent ventilation system. Fresh air enters and leaves the space without circulating from the regular ward, protecting children not only from missile threats but also from possible infection from other patients.

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In the event of a mass casualty incident involving critically ill children, the hospital has prepared an intensive care unit capable of accommodating up to 20 patients at a time.

The underground dining room for the employees has been converted into a residence for the parents. Although there is not enough time to build fully fortified operating rooms, Bron-Harlev said part of the neonatal intensive care unit has been converted into a restricted-access surgical area.

Israeli emergency responders in Beit Shemesh, where a building was directly hit by an Iranian missile on March 1, 2026. At least eight people were killed and dozens injured. (Yoav Dudkiewicz/TPS-IL)

“We’re just performing Emergency surgeries“We have created two temporary but fortified operating rooms that will operate until the permanent rooms currently under construction are ready,” she said. Two are enough for now for emergency procedures. “I hope we don’t have a situation where 10 children arrive from a major accident and need surgery, but until then, we can operate on them one by one.”

At the nearby adult hospital, part of the same complex – Rabin Medical Center – 17 people were treated as a result of the war. The hospital moved 500 beds 60 meters underground.

Schneider Children’s Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center are two of 14 hospitals operated by Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest healthcare organization, providing daily primary care, specialty care and hospital care to more than 5 million Israelis.

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After launching the campaign against Iran, Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv is implementing emergency preparedness measures and moving patients to its fortified underground facilities. (Gideon Markovich/TPS-IL)

During the 12-day war, Professor Ran Palliser, deputy general manager and chief innovation officer at Clalit Health Services, told Fox News Digital that A missile targets Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and hit a building that had fortunately been evacuated the day before.

He added, “We have learned a lesson about the importance of preparing for Iranian attacks that target civilians in general and hospitals in particular.”

Within the 24 hours after the war began, all patients not in safe areas were moved underground, where staff could focus on care despite the threats. The parking lot is denser than a regular pavilion, Palliser explained.

Sixty meters underground at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

He added: “There are challenges ranging from crowding, infection control and privacy. There are no windows, all the noise and pressure are there. It is mental and physical pressure on the staff, but they are here to do what they pledged to do.”

The area includes stocks of food, oxygen and medical supplies. The hospital is also focusing on virtual care and digital health to provide effective care without the need for patients to be present.

War-related wounds include extremity injuries and other severe trauma, Palliser said. “Our mortality rate on the front lines is the lowest compared to anywhere else in the world. As such, we have to be really effective in our rehabilitation work,” he said.

The dividing line between The front lines and the home front In terms of injuries, it is no longer clear.

The isolation area at the Rabin Medical Center that operates underground during Iran’s ongoing attacks against Israel. (Amelie Boutboul for Fox News Digital.)

He added: “They target civilians as if they were on the front lines, and deliberately aim to strike and harm civilians with weapons aimed at causing mass casualties.”

Israeli hospitals are also secured by IDF soldiers deployed to help transport patients during missile warnings, if necessary, and to coordinate the arrival of casualties.

Major S., head of operations for the IDF’s search and rescue unit, told Fox News Digital that forces are preparing for a long-term campaign.

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She added: “The last operation lasted only 12 days, and was very important for our unit, but this time is different.”

“Our mentality is that this won’t be over until it’s over for good. As the war continues, we face attacks from additional fronts, including Hezbollah in Lebanon And perhaps the Houthis in Yemen. She added: “We are prepared for all scenarios.”

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