Destruction of Weizmann Institute of Science Building Estimated at Hundreds of Millions Due to Iranian Attack

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, south of Tel Aviv, suffered significant material damage after being targeted by an Iranian missile, leading to the destruction of a building housing dozens of advanced laboratories. Preliminary losses were estimated at between 300 and 500 million dollars, amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

The missile struck the institute's campus in the early hours of Sunday, causing extensive damage to several buildings, including partial and complete collapses of parts of the facilities. Immediately, researchers rushed inside in an attempt to rescue samples of their experiments from under the rubble and the raging fire.

Physicist Roee Ozeri, the institute's vice president for development and communications, told Reuters: "We did our utmost to save as many samples as possible from the laboratories, from the buildings, while we were fighting the fire."

Reports indicated that the institute houses complex and rare scientific equipment, used jointly by multiple research groups, increasing the magnitude of the losses.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site of the attack on Friday, praising the efforts of researchers and emergency teams, describing them as "the best of Israel." He added, pointing to the ruins of the destroyed building: "This building behind me.. shows everything."

Netanyahu continued in striking statements: "Iran is the foremost terrorist regime in the world. It must not possess nuclear weapons and cannot possess them. This is Israel's goal in its actions; to save itself from the threat of Iran eliminating it. However, through what we are doing (now), we are saving many others besides ourselves."

The attack comes amid escalating confrontations between the two countries, with Israel launching strikes on Iran last week, claiming that Tehran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. In response, Iran _which asserts that its nuclear program is peaceful_ retaliated with missile and drone attacks.

Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of prominent Iranian nuclear scientists and high-ranking military leaders, as well as hundreds of civilians, in addition to the destruction of nuclear facilities. Iran has not issued any statement regarding its targeting of the Weizmann Institute or the reasons for the attack.

The institute _founded in 1934_ conducts pioneering research in fields such as genetics, immunology, and astrophysics, and enjoys a prestigious international reputation. However, it also collaborates with the Israeli defense sector, as it revealed in October 2024 a partnership with Elbit _Israel's largest defense company_ to develop biology-inspired materials for defense purposes.

The institute houses 286 research groups and 191 faculty scientists, in addition to hundreds of postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers, making it one of the leading scientific centers in Israel.