A family of four Israelis were lightly wounded from shrapnel of a Gaza rocket that landed near a home in the city of Sderot on Saturday evening. Another rocket landed near a synagogue in the city.
The father of the family, 52, suffered injuries to his forehead and legs, the mother, 45, suffered injuries to her legs, a 15-year-old girl suffered injuries to her face, head and legs, and a 14-year-old girl suffered injuries to her face, legs and back of the head.
Rocket lands in Sderot
"All of the glass in the living room fell on us. The aquarium, the TVs - everything exploded. The entire house was smoke and we were all covered in blood," said Aharon Buchris, the father of the family, from his hospital bed. "I was hit by shards in the face and legs. My wife and daughters were also hurt. I felt stress, shock, and I heard shouting," he added.
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Aharon Buchris who was wounded in rocket hit on his home in Sderot
(צילום: בית חולים ברזילי)
The family's neighbor, Azzat Magirov, heard the rocket hit and ran next door. She embraced the two teenage girls, who were covered in blood, and accompanied them to the hospital while their parents received medical treatment.
"There was no Code Red siren. All of a sudden I heard a 'boom.' I was on the couch and flew off it," she said. "All of a sudden I see smoke and hear shouting. My entire house was covered in (broken) glass, but I went straight there (to the neighbors). The Qassam rocket fell under the living room window. I saw smoke, I saw that everyone was bleeding."
Azzat, who has been living next door to the family for 22 years, went on to say that "the aquarium in the living room shattered and the glass shards hit everyone there. Dead fish and glass and blood covered the floor. The mother, who was in the kitchen, was in shock. She took it hard and started crying. I told her not to worry, I was with the children."
"I'm okay, but in my heart I'm not. They're like my own children," she said. "The girl was crying, and then the other one too. They were afraid."
The four were evacuated to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for treatment.
After a night of airstrikes and rockets ,the Israel Air Force renewed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon, attacking over 40 targets and prompting rocket and mortar fire from the strip in retaliation.
Rocket hits Sderot roof
(צילום: רועי עידן)
Over 130 rockets and mortar shells have been launched at Israel since 1:30am Saturday, with at least 27 of them intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Damage was caused to a chicken coop in one of the communities in Eshkol from a mortar shell.
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Gaza Division Commander Yehuda Fuchs visits Sderot after rocket hit
(צילום: דובר צה"ל)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been holding consultations with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and other senior defense officials since the strikes and rockets began early Saturday.
"We'll expand the response as much as required. If Hamas doesn't understand the message today, it will understand it tomorrow," Netanyahu said.
Defense Minister Lieberman spoke to UN envoy to the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov, sending a message to the Gaza terror group: "If Hamas doesn't stop, we'll be forced to keep going."
"A decision was made to take offensive action against the aggression from Gaza. Israel will increase the intensity for as long as required," an Israeli official said. "We landed the hardest blow on Gaza since Protective Edge."
Matan Tzuri, Yoav Zitun, Elior Levy, Ilana Curiel, Moran Azulay and Inbar Tvizer contributed to this report.
First published: 18:54, 07.14.18