Rockets rained down on cities in south and central Israel Saturday, killing a 56-year-old man in Ramat Gan, outside Tel Aviv, as shrapnel tore through the front door of his home.
MDA paramedics discovered the man after racing to the site of the rocket strike to check for anyone injured in the blast.
“During the searches, we discovered the wounded man in one of the apartments near the crash site,” said Ronen Cohen, an MDA paramedic who responded to the scene. “When we found him, he was unconscious and suffering from blast and shrapnel wounds. We provided him with medical treatment, but after extended efforts to resuscitate him, we had to declare his death.”
Magen David Adom provided critical aid to six other Israelis who were also injured in attacks. Twelve other Israelis were injured in the dash to seek shelter during the rocket attacks and another 12 were injured in ongoing sectarian riots, two of whom sustained serious injuries. Thirteen people were treated by MDA for stress.
Since the beginning of the rocket attacks and riots Monday, MDA has treated more than 600 injured Israelis. Including today’s fatal rocket strike, eight Israelis have been killed directly by rockets, while another two people have died from fatal injuries sustained in falls while seeking shelter from the onslaught.
“This ongoing situation, with non-stop rocket attacks, is tragic,” said Yoni Yagodovsky, director of international relations for Magen David Adom. “But it’s a situation that’s not new for us — for Magen David Adom or for the Israeli people. We [MDA medics] are resilient, we’re experienced, and as long as we have the equipment and supplies we rely on, we’ll continue to save lives wherever they need saving under virtually any circumstances thrown our way.”
