Gaza Rocket Hits Ashdod Ger Shteeble – 10 Hurt

A rocket fired at Ashdod on Friday exploded in the courtyard of a Gur Shteeble and left 10 people injured. Magen David Adom emergency services said two men were seriously injured. Their names for Tehillim are Shmuel Zev ben Esther, and Yitzchok Meir ben Malka Leah.

Eight others were lightly injured in the attack. The victims were rushed to the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot. Minor damage was caused to the building.

The rocket fire, which took place at around 8:10 am, was preceded by a Color Red alert in Ashdod and Gedera.

Emergency services detected an additional Grad rocket which hit a synagogue located several blocks from the yeshiva. The rocket failed to explode, but caused extensive damaged to the building, which had to be demolished.

Eye witnesses said that the victims left the synagogue after hearing the siren, running for cover in an adjacent building. When they heard the first blast they came outside and were then hit by shrapnel caused by the second rocket.

“The fence was utterly destroyed and a deep hole had gaped in the ground,” Moshe Avramovitch, one of the yeshiva students said. “Windows and lamps were shattered where they were davening. The yeshiva students were davening Shacharis. They ran for their lives and the rocket got them on their way back when they sought to resume their Tefillos. ”

One of the victims described the scene from his hospital bed: “We heard a siren and ran to an adjacent building. We waited there for several minutes and then stepped out to resume our prayer. Suddenly we heard a loud blast. We couldn’t see anything, people were dropping to the floor. Luckily residents soon came to help us and rescue forces followed minutes later. It was a great miracle.”

A total of 12 rockets were fired at southern communities overnight, less than a day after eight Israelis were killed in multiple terror attacks near Eilat.

Meanwhile, the Home Front Command issued guidelines for residents of southern communities, including Ashkelon, Netivot, Ofakim, Beersheba and Ashdod, which ban the gathering of more than 500 people.

Earlier, at around 5:50 am, a siren sounded in Beersheba and shortly thereafter a blast was heard as a rocket hit an open field near the city.

A rocket also exploded south of Gedera. Rockets were also fired at the Eshkol and Shaar Hanegev regional councils. Sirens were sounded in Ashkelon and Ashdod. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

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