Minutes after an IDF soldier was lightly injured by a mortar fire launched by Hamas early Tuesday afternoon, a new mortar barrage hit the Eshkol region of southern Israel, killing two and wounding seven.

The residential units of foreign workers at a packing plant on Moshav Ohad in the Eshkol Regional Council sustained a direct hit. Firefighters who arrived at the scene saw a fire that broke out in a number of portable buildings. A number of foreign workers with varying degrees of injury from shrapnel wounds were treated by emergency rescue services.

Two of the wounded were pronounced dead shortly later. They were reported to be foreign workers from Thailand.

הפגיעה הישירה באשכול: תיעוד מהזירה pic.twitter.com/QqJ0wuG839

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 18, 2021

Two people killed in Eshkol. Multiple injuries transported to local hospitals. pic.twitter.com/2hEIyiqygz

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 18, 2021

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 – Radio Darom (@radiodarom97) May 18, 2021

MDA paramedics reported treating multiple injured workers, including four in serious condition, two of whom subsequently were pronounced dead. One is seriously wounded, one is moderately wounded and five are lightly injured. All of the wounded, foreign workers from Thailand, were evacuated to the Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.

MDA confirms the deaths of two men in their 30s.

MDA escorted 7 people injured from shrapnel in Soroka Hospital. The injured victims where evacuated in MDA ambulances and a helicopter.

All the victims are likely foreign workers.
#IsraelUnderFire pic.twitter.com/BvGLovyR9Q

— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) May 18, 2021

Eshkol Regional Council head Gadi Yarkoni said that the foreign workers did not have shelters. “We have been demanding the government provide adequate protection to our residents who are under constant threat from Gaza,” he said.

Rockets were also launched at Be’er Sheva, where they were intercepted by the Iron Dome, and Ashdod, where the rockets landed in open areas. A later rocket strike directly hit a multi-story building in Ashdod but fortunately, the building is still in the construction stage and has not yet been populated by residents. There were no casualties.

פגיעה ישירה בבניין באשדוד | תיעוד @pozailov1 @moyshis (צילום: מצב בטחוני גלובלי) pic.twitter.com/1ofqii1Pzy

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 18, 2021

Moments before the attack on the Eshkol Regional Council, an IDF soldier who was assisting in the transfer of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip was lightly injured after Hamas launched a heavy mortar attack at the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings.

The 19-year-old soldier sustained shrapnel wounds on his legs. He was evacuated to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon in light condition.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel temporarily reopened the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings into Gaza to allow humanitarian shipments of fuel and medical equipment to be transferred into the Strip.

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated on Isru Chag in Israel.)