Sderot Town Visit

I joined the CFI Conflict Relief Team on a visit to the town of Sderot located one mile east of Gaza. This town has experienced thousands of rocket attacks over the past 8 years but the attacks have been reduced to 5 - 20 per week after the recent Gaza conflict. All residents live with the constant fear of being injured or killed by the Hamas rockets called kassams (2 ft long by 3" diameter) and many are traumatized by their experiences. Families especially are fearful of harm to their children while at school and many are on medications and/or under psychological care for the constant stress. Most all remaining residents can not afford to relocate out of Sderot, so they carry on as best they can. CFI provides food vouchers, financial assistance for medical costs, minor apartment repairs and appliance replacements after referal from a social worker.

WATCH OUT FOR THE KASSAMS. The warnings consist of general alarm sirens or a code red alarm from loud speakers all over the town. Because of the close proximity to Gaza, when the defense system detects a kassam en route, the residents have only 15 seconds to take cover in a bomb shelter for protection. During our 5 hour visit , there were 3 kassam warnings. The first was a siren which we didn't hear during lunch (none of the customers ran so I guess we were OK). The second was a code red while we were driving between visits. Cars stopped in the middle of the street and passengers ran to bomb shelters close by. We pulled over and prayed for God's protection. All was well. The third was a kassam which landed in a field and was detonated by the IDF just as we were climbing a hillside to look over at Gaza City. The first picture below shows smoke from the exploded kassam with Gaza City in the background and the Mediterranean Sea beyond that.


Kassam, Gaza City and the Mediterranean Sea

Bus stop bomb shelter

Inside school playground "caterpillar" bomb shelter

School playground "caterpillar" bomb shelter

Concrete arch shelter over a school

It is most interesting seeing the creative bomb shelter structures designed and built by the town for their residenets. I can't imagine how the residents cope with this constant threat. It is amazing that only 4 people have been killed over the 8 years of 8,000 plus rocket bombings; a true example of God's protection of His chosen people.