Israel's ghost town
Streets of Sderot empty following 72 hours of Qassam attacks; local rehabilitation pool closed after rocket lands on property causing serious damage; in evening, mortar shells kill family dog
SDEROT - Saturday afternoon, four Qassam rockets landed in the area of Sderot, clearing the streets of the Negev town, and in the evening, the Palestinian artillery barrage picked up again with mortar shells dropping on Sderot's industrial zone.
Buildings were damaged, but no one was hurt in the latest attack.
Meanwhile, violence continued in the Gaza Strip. One man was lightly wounded and seven others were also hurt when a mortar shell hit his house in the settlement of Nisanit.
The Abutbols of Sderot still cannot shake off their close brush with death Saturday morning: A rocket in the family courtyard at the very moment the mother and her brother-in-law were about to recline outside.
They were not hurt, but the family dog, a German Shepherd named Shawn, was killed in the attack.
Sderot has been bombarded by Palestinian terror groups on and off for over 72 hours with 8 Qassam rockets landing in the Abutbols' neighborhood alone. Said one family member, "It was a big miracle that no one was hurt, but who knows if the miracles will keep?"
Daughter Perly, a 30-year-old mother of four, said, "My mother is thinking about leaving Sderot and we'll likely follow."
Town on the edge
"People are seriously anxious and the sad thing is that the country still does not recognize the harm done to the children’s’ delicate souls,” one resident said.
Sderot resident and father of five, Sasson Sara said the streets are empty except for people making their way to and from synagogue.
Whoever can afford to has left town, Sara said, “but most have stayed here because they have no other alternative.”
Sara said that in order for the children of Sderot to receive government funding for municipal summer camps, they have had to prove they are poor.
“Why can’t children who live in this town automatically receive subsidies, when this horror film returns,” he said. "Children walk around the streets. Who can promise us there will be no more underground tunnels from Beit Hanoun to Sderot today? The distance is only 800 meters."
Pool is closed
The rehabilitation pool at Shaar Hanegev used to treat many disabled and sick residents living in the south, was forced to close after two Qassam rockets landed on the property causing serious damage.
The pool offers over 1,000 hydrotherapy and physiotherapy treatments a month. Furthermore, about 2,00 people have monthly memberships to the adjacent swimming pool.
Pool manager Itay Zur said they were lucky the rockets landed at a time when no swimmers or patients were present.
“However, the damage caused is estimated at tens of thousands of shekels, not to speak of the damage caused to the disabled and patients that come here,” he said.
More money needed
Shaar Hanegev Council Head Alon Shuster told Ynet promises have been made to provide local communities with special protection against rocket attacks, however only half the amount of money pledged has been forwarded.
“Construction was stopped before we were able to protect the pool,” he said. “The government must stand by its promise."
The cabinet is scheduled to meet Sunday where the issue of supplying a defense mechanism for communities surrounding the Gaza Strip is set to be discussed.
“There is a structured plan by the army to protect education institutions and complexes and a government plan to strengthen social and employment infrastructure,” he said. “Not everything has been implemented and NIS 33 million is still needed to complete the work.”
