The Unseen Emergency:
Over 3,000 Medical Treatments and Two Fatalities Mark Yom Kippur for Magen David Adom
Israel's national emergency service responded to a high volume of incidents during the holy day, treating hundreds for fasting effects and cycling injuries, alongside two deaths from violence.
Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service, reported a period of intense activity over Yom Kippur (2025). Across the country, MDA teams provided medical treatment to 3,022 individuals, with 2,165 people evacuated to hospitals.
Consistent with the nature of the holiday, which involves a 25-hour fast, MDA statistics show that 293 people required medical attention due to fainting, dehydration, or generally feeling unwell as a result of the fast. Additionally, following air raid sirens heard in Ashdod, seven people sustained minor injuries while running for bomb shelters.
The tradition of taking to the empty streets for recreational activities also led to a high number of injuries. A total of 295 people were treated after being injured while riding bicycles, roller skates, scooters, and skateboards. Of these, eight were in moderate condition and 287 sustained minor injuries. One hospital noted that 90% of the approximately 150 children they treated during the holiday arrived with injuries, mostly minor cuts and fractures, sustained from cycling and scootering. A children's emergency department director credited the wearing of helmets with keeping most injuries less severe than in previous years.
Tragically, the holiday was marred by incidents of violence, resulting in two fatalities among the 29 individuals injured in violent events nationwide. The deceased include a 19-year-old woman pronounced dead in Rahat and a 29-year-old man who was critically injured in Tuba-Zangaria and later died at the hospital.
Traffic accidents also contributed to the caseload, with 23 people injured on the roads. Two individuals were seriously wounded: a 17-year-old riding his bicycle who was hit by a vehicle in Tel Aviv, and a 21-year-old man whose car overturned near Tayibe. Four others were moderately injured, and 17 sustained light injuries.
MDA paramedics were called to assist 149 women in labor, with three births successfully delivered by the teams in the field in Beitar Illit, Jerusalem, and Ness Ziona. Further straining the system was a grave incident in Eilat, where a 13-year-old boy fell approximately three meters, sustaining a serious head injury. He was rushed to Yoseftal Hospital in critical condition while receiving CPR but later succumbed to his wounds.
The medical support system remained active throughout the holiday, with MDA’s blood services supplying 261 units and blood components to hospitals nationwide.