Twelve people were killed on Sunday afternoon when a rocket hit a gathering spot in Kfar Giladi in the Upper Galilee.
Ten people died on the spot, and an eleventh person died of his wounds shortly after he was taken to hospital. Another person died in the evening, raising the death toll to 12.
In addition, twelve people were wounded in the attack.
MDA said that those who were badly hurt were treated on location, and were airlifted to hospitals in the region.
"It was a direct hit on a crowd of people," Dan Ronen, the chief of the northern police command, told Army Radio.
Convoys of police and rescue vehicles raced to the town.
"This was the most difficult thing I could have imagined in my career. There are nine bodies here covered in blankets, around us cars are going up in flames,‘ Army Radio reporter reported as she choked back tears. ’On one side is the cemetery, on the other side are the nine young bodies waiting for burial."
A security official said it was the "worst attack" that Israel sustained since hostilities broke out 26 days ago.
"The scene is very difficult it can be described as a battlefield,‘ said Shimon Abutbul, a rescue worker who was one of the first to arrive in the area. ’There was a lot of blood."
"We saw difficult scenes in the days of this fighting. This is the worst I have seen," he said, adding that the rocket hit cars among other things in the area.
A nearby forest burst into flames from the barrage and huge plumes of gray smoke rose into the air.
Many of the rockets hit the nearby town of Kiryat Shmona, damaging a synagogue and sparking a series of fires, Mayor Haim Barbivai said, calling on all residents to remain in their shelters because more barrages were sure to follow.
Rockets also landed in Haifa and the surrounding bay area, Nahariya, Karmiel, Rosh Pina, the Golan Heights, Ma’alot and Safed.
August 8, 2006
Our fallen
NATHANIEL ROSEN
Twelve IDF reservists were killed by a Katyusha rocket near Kibbutz Kfar Giladi as they were preparing to enter Lebanon on Sunday.
CWO Yosef Karkash, 41, of Afula, met with Shlomo Buchris, his cousin and fellow reservist, early Sunday. Later that day, both cousins were killed by the Katyusha. Devastated relatives were quoted as saying they "don’t know which family to visit and console first." Karkash is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Warr. Ofc. Shmuel Halfon, 41, of Bat Yam, was called up two weeks ago, only to be told that he could return home last week. One day after he went home, Halfon was called up again. Family members said he loved the army and liked serving reserve duty. Halfon left behind three sons, one of whom is 11 months old. Halfon is survived by his wife and three sons.
St.-Sgt. Maj. Daniel Ben-David, 38, of Moshav Ahituv, volunteered to join fellow paratroopers in Lebanon, despite his family’s objections. Ben-David was described by a neighbor as "always laughing and hugging‘ and as someone who ’loved to help people." Ben-David is survived by his wife and three children.
St.-Sgt. Maj. Shlomo Buchris, 36, of Moshav Sde Yitzhak, reassured his brother that while other troops had gone into Lebanon, he had not yet entered and was fine. Just a short time later, Buchris was killed. Buchris was named after his father, who fell in the Six Day war.
Sgt.-Maj. Ziv Balali, 28, of Kfar Saba, was about to celebrate his 29th birthday next month. Ziv recently completed a degree in Middle East Studies. He is survived by his parents and sister.
Sgt.-Maj. Marian Berkowitz, 31, of Ashdod, was called up Wednesday and has a younger brother who is currently serving in Lebanon. Friends described him as fun-loving and said he "loved challenges." Berkowitz is survived by his parents and two brothers.
Sgt.-Maj. Ro’i Yaish, 27, of Herzliya, was laid to rest at the Herzliya cemetery at 5 p.m. on Monday.
St.-Sgt. Yehuda Greenfeld, 27, of Ma’aleh Michmash, was called to duty, despite being recently hurt in a field trip to the Judean Desert. Greenfeld leaves behind a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a four-month-old son. Greenfled is survived by his wife and two kids, along with his parents and five brothers.
Sgt. Gregory Aharonov, 34 , of Or Akiva, moved to Israel from Ukraine in 1991. Despite concerns about serving, Aharanov obliged when he was called up. Aharanov was named after his grandfather who died, also at the age of 34, in World War I. Aharanov was the manager of a cosmetics factory and is survived by his wife, two children, parents and older sisters.
