The terrorist group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire with Israel that took place in the pre-dawn hours Friday morning Israel time, but not before rocket attacks injured nine people, all of whom were treated by Magen David Adom.
Two of the casualties, MDA said, were injured by shards of glass, shrapnel, and the blast wave. The other seven were injured in the dash to get to bomb shelters before rockets landed. On Thursday, MDA EMTs also treated a dog who was in shock following a rocket blast that showered him with glass. The pooch was otherwise not seriously injured.
“I’m extraordinarily proud of our fulltime and volunteer EMTs and paramedics,” said Eli Bin, director-general of Magen David Adom. “They performed professionally and fearlessly under dangerous circumstances, and ensured the death toll was a fraction of what it otherwise would have been.
“Other than the Iron Dome, few factors were as significant in mitigating the loss of life in this conflict,” he said. “They were truly lifesavers this past week-and-a-half.”
In all, 12 Israelis died as a result of Hamas rockets, 10 directly from injuries sustained in blasts and two from injuries sustained in falls while en route to bomb shelters. Magen David Adom treated more than 355 people suffering from rocket-related injuries or, in one case, a rocket-induced heart attack.
MDA also treated 196 people injured in sectarian riots, including at least one man who later succumbed to his injuries.
