Sderot man says family had no warning before rocket hit their home
Four family members lightly to moderately injured in Saturday missile strike; father recalls ‘screaming, shock and blood’
A Sderot man injured when a rocket fired from Gaza hit his home Saturday described the shock and chaos of the missile strike from his hospital bed.
Aharon Bucharis, his wife, and daughters aged 14 and 15 were all lightly to moderately injured when the projectile fired by Gazan terrrorists hit their home on Saturday afternoon.
He said the family did not receive any warning that would have told them to run to a reinforced saferoom.
“There was no siren,” said Bucharis.
“All the glass in the living room flew toward us, the whole house was filled with smoke, there was blood everywhere, shouting and madness. The neighbors called emergency services, I had shrapnel in my face and legs, my wife and daughter had in their heads,” recalled Bucharis.
Palestinian terrorists fired some 200 rockets and missiles at Israeli communities close to the Gaza Strip over the weekend. Most hit open fields or were knocked down by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, but a few caused damage, hitting an empty synagogue and the Bucharis home, among other locations.
Bucharis said the rocket likely landed in the yard, but caused enough damage to obliterate the living room.
There was “screaming, shock and blood. A lot of blood. The living room disappeared, the television exploded. … It was lucky my wife went to fetch something from the kitchen.”
The four family members were taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for emergency medical treatment for light to moderate injuries. All are said to be in stable condition.
Initial reports only counted three injured.
Direct rocket hits on homes have become relatively rare since the Iron Dome began intercepting most projectiles headed toward populated areas, but have still proven deadly when they hit populated areas.
On Saturday the IDF attacked more than 40 targets in the Gaza Strip, in the most extensive daytime assault since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge.
Two people were killed and 14 more were wounded in Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
