Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday paid a visit to Shamir Medical Center (formerly Assaf Harofeh Medical Center) in Be’er Ya’akov, where they met with wounded victims of recent Iranian missile barrages.

As part of the wartime tour of the hospital, the president and his wife also visited fortified surgical theaters and spoke with the medical staff about the pressures of operating under fire, according to Herzog’s office.

Isaac and Michal Herzog visited Shamir’s emergency hospital, which was erected inside an underground parking lot, on Friday, as well as the fortified maternity ward, which until recently served as a fitness center.

“I am proud to return to Shamir Medical Center, one of Israel’s leading hospitals, both nationally and internationally,” said Israel’s head of state. “I was deeply impressed by the emergency preparedness, the professionalism and devotion of the medical teams, and the swift and effective mobilization of this underground facility,” he added.

“Visiting the fortified maternity ward and meeting the brave new mothers and their families—beacons of hope in the shadow of war—was a moving testament to the resilience of Israeli society,” Herzog said.

The president’s wife praised medical staff for caring “for both patients and caregivers,” saying the hospital’s commitment to their protection was “truly heartwarming.”

“We visited this center on the second day of the Swords of Iron War, and once again, we witness your sacred work under incredibly difficult conditions,” said Michal Herzog, referencing the war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks.

Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach, who heads the underground medical facility, thanked the president and his wife for visiting the hospital.

“Unfortunately, in the medical world one always has to be ready for the worst-case scenario,” said Levtzion-Korach. “This goes for treatment as well as emergency preparedness, and thankfully our staff here ensured that the hospital and its around the clock care did not stop for a minute, even if it meant to recreate a fully functioning hospital in what was an underground car parking lot just hours before.”

Israel’s Magen David Adom medical emergency response group said on Monday night that its medics had treated 1,258 casualties since the war with Iran started on June 13, including 16 who were seriously wounded.

Of the more than 1,200 wounded, 266 were treated at the various scenes and did not require evacuation to hospitals, according to the MDA data.

Twenty-four people have been killed in Israel since Tehran started attacking its civilian population centers with missiles on June 13.