Shelter in northern community (archive photo)
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Fire in the north
Photo: Reuters
Back to Katyusha rocket scare
Sunday’s Katyusha fire from Lebanon evokes unpleasant memories among northerners; ‘It reminds me of the 1980's. We hope that period will never return,’ one resident says
Tomer, a 15-year-old boy from the town of Shlomi in the western Galilee, said following Sunday’s Katyusha rocket barrage on northern Israel “We heard a huge explosion; we ran home and heard instructions to go into shelters from the loudspeakers. I'm alone at home with my five-year-old sister and our parents are worried. We saw smoke coming out of the Hizbullah outpost and heard three explosions. We are in the shelter now."
Katyusha Fire
Hanan Greenberg
Israeli Air Force launches strike on two Palestinian bases in Lebanon in reprisal for Katyusha attack on army base Sunday morning. Six Palestinian operatives hurt in strike. Meanwhile, fire exchanges erupt between IDF, Palestinian on Lebanese side; residents called to leave homes, enter bomb shelters
Residents of Kiryat Shmona to Nahariya were instructed to enter shelters and secured rooms following the fire exchanges in the region. Many residents reported of explosions and smoke along the border.
The veteran residents of the area were reminded of the days when Katyusha rocket attacks were nearly an everyday event. Sami Harari of Shlomi said: "We hear shells being fired; this is the IDF retaliation. We are awaiting developments. The children are in shelters, they're calm and we gave them food and drinks. It reminds me of the 1980's. We hope that period will never return."
'Everyone is stressed out'
The Mayor of Shlomi, Gabi Naaman, opened a situation room and the emergency contingency plan was activated. The mayor also called on the government to do everything in its power to stop the fire.
"Since all the residents are already in shelters there is no reason why the IDF shouldn't retaliate harshly and bring an end to the endless cycle where every few months our lives are interrupted by terror groups from southern Lebanon.
The explosions were also heard in the northern town of Maalot, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border. "I heard explosions," said local Zion Harari.
"We were instructed to enter the shelters; that's where my wife and kids are. We used to live in Nahariya – everyone is stressed out.”
Michael Rasovski of Nahariya said he felt the ground shaking beneath him. "We're hearing endless explosions; it sounds like it's coming from the IDF and they keep coming every two seconds," he said.
Hagai Einav contributed to the story
