Relentless: Rocket attacks on communities bordering Gaza
Photo: Gil Taasa
'We feel forgotten'
Representative of Qassam-stricken southern community expresses the fear and anger of local residents
Three kilometers south of Ashkelon, residents of communities bordering Gaza live in a continuous state of war. Their daily struggle has two reasons: The IDF's shelling of Qassam launching grounds in the Gaza Strip, which causes unbearable noise, and the Qassam rocket attack themselves, which also trigger the Red Alert rocket alert system.
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The security officer of Nativ Haasara, Gil Taasa, recounts receiving "hundreds of furious phone calls from residents, who can't eat Friday night dinner in peace. Even the dogs and animals are running around, unable to rest, and in fear."
They were promised quiet, and that the terror would stop, but residents feel that the calm can only be found in the heads of the politicians who supported the Gaza withdrawal, and who completed the mission successfully.
"We have simply been forgotten," said Taasa, adding: "Orders to fire on empty areas come from the top."
"Yesterday evening, the Air Force also contributed to the shelling, and increased the noise. We are stuck in the middle. Angry residents arrived at an army post and screamed at the commanders there," Taasa added.
No peace
"If we travel just three kilometers from here northwards, it's as if we've left the country. Suddenly, we hear quiet, everything is calm. And what about us, our children, our homes, and our peace?" Asked Taasa.
"We very much fear psychological damage to our children, who live under constant artillery sounds. The children have returned to wetting their beds from fear. This morning I opened my door, and a dog I do not know entered my house and refused to leave. You can't go near it because he is afraid and aggressive. The noise has even made the birds leave," said Taasa.
As the Nativ Haasara's security officer, all of the feelings and anger of the residents focus on him: "Last Friday night was shocking. We couldn't talk and there was no serenity. It's crazy."
Residents of Ashkelon and surrounding communities also hear the IDF shelling of open territories. Gil Taasa, like all of the local residents, just wants calm, and perhaps real answers. "We just want to know – after all of the ammunition thrown around here, what is the result? Until now, the result has been more noise, fear, and… Qassams."
