Nineteen people were injured Friday night after a rocket struck a residential building in the city of Tira in central Israel.
Four of the victims were moderately injured, and the rest suffered light injuries. An IDF spokesperson confirmed that three projectiles were identified crossing into Israel from Lebanon, and that attempts were made to intercept them. The IDF is investigating the reason for the failed interceptions.
The incident began at 2:17 a.m. on Saturday, when the Home Front Command set off alerts in a number of towns and cities in central Israel, including Herzliya, Kfar Saba, Ra'anana, Hod Hasharon, Jaljulia, and Tira. One of the rockets hit a residential building in Tira, causing a great deal of damage and injuring 19 of the city's residents.
First responders provided the injured with medical treatment and evacuated them to various hospitals. According to Magen David Adom, the victims were injured by shrapnel and flying glass.
MDA paramedic Lior Zilberberg, who was one of the first to arrive at the scene, said: "We quickly arrived at the scene in large numbers, and we saw a building with a great deal of damage. At the scene there was a lot of chaos, with many people, who told us that in the building at the time were eight people, and we immediately began searching."
"At the same time, the victims began to be evacuated out to us. A woman of about 30 and a teenage boy of about 17 suffered multiple injuries from shrapnel, but were fully conscious. In addition, women, men, and young men were evacuated out to us, all suffering from shrapnel injuries and from cuts from broken glass. We conducted an initial triage for the injuries and we quickly evacuated them to hospitals. In addition, we treated and evacuated seven people who suffered shock."