An apartment building in the Israeli city of Rishon Lezion sustained a direct hit from a rocket fired by Hamas terrorists on Wednesday from Gaza. Firefighters and rescue forces searched the building for civilians that might have been trapped in the rubble.
The impact followed a sustained barrage of rockets that were aimed at Israelis in southern and central Israel. At least two rockets landed in Rishon Lezion, and one in Kfar Sirkin, a moshav near Petach Tikvah. Red Alert sirens were also activated in Ashkelon, Ashdod, Elad and elsewhere around the areas.
Emergency medical responders from Magen David Adom and United Hatzolah treated at least four victims before taking them to local hospitals. Two of the victims were reported in Rishon Lezion, including a 48-year-old woman wounded by glass shards, and a man with shrapnel wounds.
In Kfar Sirkin, a 13-year-old boy sustained a blast injury to his head. One woman was also injured as she raced to a safe space.
Nearly a dozen other people suffered emotional shock and received psychological first aid from United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit.
Earlier in the evening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, acknowledging that investigations into the lack of preparedness that led to the deaths of more than a thousand civilians in southern Israel on October 7 would have to take place — but not until the war is over.
“There will be an investigation into all the failures that occurred on October 7th, after the war,” Netanyahu promised.
Netanyahu said there are two current, main targets: to annihilate Hamas terrorists at all levels, and to return as many of the kidnapped hostages as possible.
“Every Hamas terrorist is a dead man walking,” he said grimly, “in Gaza or out of Gaza, underground or above it.”
The prime minister said that so far, since the start of the war on Shabbat Simchat Torah, thousands of Hamas terrorists have been eliminated, “and that it’s only the beginning.”
He also said the upcoming ground operation — which he said has, in fact, been scheduled, will be complicated and not all reasons for the delay could be voiced.
“The memory of those 1,400-plus Israelis that were murdered by the Hamas terrorist will never be forgotten,” Netanyahu added, pledging that official days of mourning and memorials will be established and ratified by the Knesset.
