Missile strike hits Weizmann Institute of Science lab buildings

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, has reported that it was hit during an Iranian air strike on Sunday. Hostilities began June 12 after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and missile sites, and Iran and Israel continue to exchange missile fire.

The institute, home to about 2,600 staff and 1,800 students (PDF), is known globally for its biomedical research. In a statement sent to the press on Sunday, a Weizmann spokesperson wrote, “Early this morning, several buildings on the Weizmann Institute of Science campus were damaged. There were no casualties. The institute is in contact with the relevant security and emergency agencies, and is taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of employees and the campus.”

A scientist at Weizmann, speaking on condition of anonymity, tells C&EN that because of the ongoing conflict, they were asked not to discuss the details of the damage.

But Maya Engel, a biogeochemist at a satellite campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem located across the street from the institute, has confirmed to C&EN that scientific laboratories at Weizmann have been affected. “My lab was not damaged,” she says, “but I know colleagues from Weizmann whose entire labs and buildings are completely wrecked.”