The Israeli military accused Iran on Thursday of using cluster munitions in its latest offensive against Israeli territory, further escalating the week-long conflict between the two countries.

At her daily press conference, military spokesperson General Effie Defrin stated that"the terrorist regime seeks to harm the civilian population and is even using cluster munitions today to increase the damage." However, she did not specify exactly where these projectiles were used. These projectiles are banned in more than 100 countries due to the risk they pose to civilians.

The use of this type of weaponry comes amid an escalation of cross-attacks between the two nations. The Israeli army, Defrin explained, continues to bomb targets in various regions of Iran, with a special focus on Tehran.

"Our objective is clear: to eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel, damage its nuclear program, and cause significant damage to its missile systems," he declared. The attacks, he specified, target all of the Iranian regime's military formations.

On Thursday, a missile launched from Iran hit Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel, causing a massive fire. Hospital director Shlomi Codish reported that 40 people were injured and several wards were completely destroyed."There is extensive damage throughout the hospital," he said. Although Iran claimed its missiles were targeting a nearby military and intelligence base, Israeli authorities maintain that the attack targeted the medical infrastructure.

Spokesperson Defrin visited the hospital after the bombing and called the attack “a flagrant violation of international law” and an act of “state terrorism.”

Criticism also came from the international community. The International Committee of the Red Cross recalled that hospitals must be protected according to humanitarian law, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed concern about the use of civilians as"collateral damage" in hostilities.

Since the Israeli army launched a surprise offensive against Iran's military and nuclear capabilities last Friday, the conflict has continued unabated. To date, at least 24 people have died in Israel due to Iranian attacks, while in Iran, authorities reported 224 deaths as a result of Israeli bombing.

In Beersheba, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran will pay “a very high price.” “We are committed to destroying the threat of nuclear annihilation and Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities,” he stated. Defense Minister Israel Katz took aim at Iran’s supreme leader: “Khamenei can no longer exist. He orders attacks on hospitals and wants to destroy Israel. He cannot be allowed to continue.”

Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that he knows Khamenei's whereabouts, but that he has not yet ordered his elimination. However, he did not rule out possible US military entry into the conflict."I may or may not," he said Wednesday, adding that Iran has sought to open negotiations. The statements come as the organization of a round of nuclear talks in Geneva with diplomats from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union, and Iran.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump reportedly approved plans for attacks but decided to wait for Iran to give up its nuclear program. Tehran, through the Guardian Council, warned that any US involvement would provoke a"severe response" and called the president "criminal and stupid." Iran's ally Russia said US military action would be "extremely dangerous," while pro-Iranian groups in Iraq threatened retaliation.

On the military front, Israel reported attacking an inactive nuclear reactor in Arak and the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Officials said the aim was to prevent the reactor from being restored. Netanyahu told Kan public television that more than half of Iran's missile launchers have been destroyed since the start of the offensive."We are changing the face of the Middle East, and now I say we are changing the face of the world," he said.

For their part, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed to have launched more than 100 combat and suicide drones against Israel during the day on Thursday, thus confirming that the conflict is entering a new stage of direct and technological aggression.