Kiryat Gat Mayor Kfir Soissa called on city residents "to avoid coming to the area until further notice" after the explosion at the Intel plant in the city. A hazardous materials leak incident has been declared in the industrial zone. The mayor added: "Emergency and rescue forces are handling the incident. We ask residents to comply with the instructions of security and rescue forces and to avoid gathering in the area. We will continue to update the public according to developments."

