Today (Sunday), at approximately 13:43, reports were received at Magen David Adom's 101 Emergency Dispatch Center regarding casualties resulting from a missile strike in Beit Shemesh. Large-scale MDA forces were immediately dispatched to the scene, including ambulances, Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs), and MDA first responders on Medicycles.
MDA paramedics pronounced 9 casualties dead at the scene. They provided life-saving medical treatment and evacuated 46 injured patients to Hadassah Har Hatzofim, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Shaare Zedek, and Shamir-Assaf Harofeh hospitals. Among the injured were 2 in serious condition - a 37-year-old woman with limb injuries and a 4-year-old boy with glass shard injuries to his limbs - 2 in moderate condition, and 42 in light condition.
MDA Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Yosef Laufer said: "Upon receiving the report at the dispatch center about a strike and several destroyed buildings, large numbers of ambulances and MICUs were dispatched to the location. When we arrived, we observed significant destruction at the scene and residents being rescued from the buildings. We provided medical treatment to several casualties, including a 10-year-old girl, and others with varying degrees of injuries. Additional MDA teams treated more victims who were pulled from the rubble."
MDA EMT Yehuda Shlame, among the first to arrive at the scene, said: "I was in the area when the sirens began. I entered a protected space and heard a massive explosion. Moments later, a call came in about a strike on several buildings near me. I immediately headed to the site in my ambulance. It was a difficult sight. Heavy damage to structures, smoke in the air, and large chaos as dozens of panicked residents emerged from the affected buildings. Through the commotion, I noticed a 37-year-old woman approaching me, deeply distressed and suffering from significant limb injuries. I calmed her down and began initial medical treatment. Within minutes, more MDA teams arrived, conducted searches for additional victims, and provided care. I then evacuated her to the hospital in serious but stable condition."
MDA EMT Tzvi David recounted the destruction he witnessed: "When we arrived, we saw homes with extensive destruction, collapsed trees, and shattered windows throughout the area. A woman in her 60s was trapped under a piece of concrete and called for help. Together with other MDA responders, we lifted the concrete and rescued her to a MICU, which evacuated her in stable condition. Later, civilians flagged us down, reporting three children trapped in a locked room. Alongside firefighting forces, we rescued the three children and provided medical care. They were evacuated in mild condition."
MDA Paramedic Dror Eini said: "We saw destroyed homes, flames, and smoke rising from residential buildings, crushed cars, and immense chaos. I saw three casualties lying on the ground with no signs of life and was forced to pronounce them dead. Subsequently, other paramedics pronounced six more victims dead. MDA teams treated and evacuated 46 casualties to hospitals, including two in serious condition."
MDA Medicycle Unit Paramedic Nati Ben Shimon told of finding victims trapped in the wreckage: "Upon arrival, we witnessed heavy destruction involving several severely damaged buildings. Some victims were trapped in their apartments and were brought to us by rescue teams. It was a harrowing sight - we identified four victims in critical condition with severe multi-system trauma. Simultaneously, teams treated two seriously injured individuals and several others in moderate or light condition, as well as those suffering from anxiety. We established a forward triage point near the scene and evacuated all casualties quickly and orderly to the hospitals."