A building in Ashkelon was directly hit by a rocket early Monday after a barrage of rockets were fired on the city from the Gaza Strip.
Another barrage of rockets was fired towards the city minutes later.
Police quickly arrived at the scene of the building that had been struck the police spokesperson stated that evening.
Immediate efforts to secure the area and check for explosive devices went underway in preparation for rescue teams to arrive and evacuate potentially injured people.
The spokesperson noted that the police were urging civilians to remain in protected areas, to follow instructions from the security forces, and to refrain from approaching areas that had been hit by rockets.
Treating the victims
The Magen David Adom (MDA) spokesperson later noted that the MDA had completed a sweep of the first floor of the two-story building.
Paramedic teams proceeded to provide treatment to eight people with mild to moderate injuries. One 40-year-old was also experiencing an anxiety attack and an eight-year-old was injured. Both were taken to Barzilai Hospital.
An Ashkelon municipality spokesperson said that three crash sites were identified in the city following the rocket barrages, one of them being the residential building.
"Teams from the security and emergency department of the municipality are present at each of the scenes, as well as welfare teams who will be in contact with the families whose homes have been damaged in order to closely monitor their needs and any assistance required," the spokesperson said.
This is a developing story.