Communities on the border with Gaza were hit by a mortar barrage of at least 50 projectiles at around 2 PM. A barn was hit and a rocket landed near a residential building. Two men, both foreign workers, were killed in the mortar attack. Another seven foreign workers were injured in the attack, including one person in serious condition and another who was moderately wounded. The other five sustained light injuries, according to MDA.
שני הרוגים ושמונה נפגעים מנפילת רקטה על בית אריזה.
צוותי הרפואה של איחוד הצלה העניקו סיוע ראשוני לכעשרה נפגעים כתוצאה מפגיעה ישירה בבית אריזה בו שהו עובדים זרים בעוטף עזה, אך נאלצו לקבוע את מותם של 2 גברים ומפנים לבי”ח סורוקה 7 פצועים מרסיסים.
צילום: דוברות המשטרה pic.twitter.com/vPioMtgxzL— רדיו דרום (@radiodarom97) May 18, 2021
Sirens continued to sound in southern Israel as mortars and rockets were fired from Gaza.
At around 3 PM, a rocket made a direct hit on a building under construction in Ashdod.
פגיעה ישירה בבניין באשדוד | תיעוד @pozailov1 @moyshis (צילום: מצב בטחוני גלובלי) pic.twitter.com/1ofqii1Pzy
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 18, 2021
Beersheba was targeted by rocket attacks as well but the Iron Dome anti-missile system succeeded in intercepting the projectiles headed for the city. Sirens also sounded in Ashkelon.
A 19-year-old IDF soldier was injured by shrapnel after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near the Erez Crossing.
Just after Israel re-opened the Erez Crossing from Israel into Gaza to allow the entry of civilian aid, a mortar shell was fired at the crossing from Gaza, lightly injuring an IDF soldier.
Hamas prioritizes attacks on Israel over humanitarian aid for Gazans.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 18, 2021
In addition to the attacks from Gaza, police arrested eight Arabs involved in rock throwing and attacks on police officers by the Damascus gate.
The Gaza Health Ministry claimed that at least 212 people have been killed in Gaza. Israel claimed that at least 150 of those were Hamas terrorists actively engaged in attacking Israel. The IDF claims to have eliminated approximately 160 terrorists in Gaza since the beginning of Operation Guardian of the Walls, 120 were affiliated with Hamas and another 40 with Islamic Jihad. The IDF also statede that it destroyed 9.4 miles of terror tunnels built by Hamas. Overnight, 60 IAF warplanes destroyed 65 rocket launchers in Khan Yunis.
Additionally, the IDF reported that fully one-third of the rockets fired by Hamas landed inside Gaza and are responsible for some of the casualties. Over 3,400 rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza, most being intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. In Israel. 10 people, including two children, were killed in rocket attacks and 294 injured. In addition, 191 Israelis have been injured in riots and clashes between Jews and Arabs inside Israel.
