Residents complain; artillery battery to move

Army agree to move artillery battery used to fire at Qassam launchers after residents complain their lives have turned into nightmare. One resident says 'senior officer was at my home when cannons started firing. He was surprised we're not protesting day and night'
Hanan Greenberg

IDF artillery battery moving: After negotiations between the army and area residents, the IDF has agreed to move the artillery battery deployed near Kibbutz Alumim in the western Negev desert.

 

The battery will be moved south to reduce the noise, which has made the lives of local residents unbearable.

 

The battery was originally placed in the area in order to fire at Qassam rocket launching sites, but a military source said Friday that residents voiced their complaints over the noise.

 

"The matter was examined, and when we saw we could move the battery without undermining operational needs, we did it."

 

Earlier, IDF troops would fire at launching sites for long hours, introducing area residents to a new reality of unbearable noise resulting from the heavy shelling. On some occasions, residents mistook the noise for an incoming Qassam attack.

 

Residents then turned to the IDF and complained, although they expressed their understanding for the need to deploy the artillery battery in the area. Military officials considered the complaints but said the placement of the battery was in line with military needs.

 

However, as IDF shelling became heavier, the army examined an alternate location and decided to move the battery to a spot far away from any Israeli community.

 

"We proved that we examine every complaint and we change things when it is possible to do so," an IDF Southern Command official said.

 

The battery is expected to be moved in several weeks, allowing local residents to sleep better at night.

 

'Children are scared'

 

Kibbutz Alumin, meanwhile, lauded the decision to move the cannons. Kibbutz Secretary Debbie Meisal told Ynet "at first we thought we're talking about a short period of time and we were willing to accept it, but with the passage of time anxiety grew."

 

"People are not sleeping well at night, the children are scared, and even the lives of pets have been disrupted," she said. "The soldiers are very nice but the noise is very loud. We turned to security authorities over the matter and I'm glad they complied."

 

Local resident Rafi Babian, who serves as the regional council's security officer, told Ynet: "A senior officer sat at my home and the cannons started firing while we were drinking coffee. It was amusing. He said he admires us and was surprised how we're not protesting day and night in order to remove the forces."

 

Babian, a father of four, took his young children to see the battery, "so they understand those are our forces firing…the kindergarten at the kibbutz also took the children for a guided tour. Our children bring the soldiers cakes and beverages, and they will continue to do so once the soldiers move."