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Palestinian Rockets Fray Nerves in Israeli "Bull's-Eye" City

[New York Times] Isabel Kershner - After seven years of Palestinian rocket fire, Sderot has turned into a city of fear. A working-class town whose outer limits lie less than a mile and a half from Gaza's border, Sderot is the bull's-eye for Kassam rockets, whose warheads are stuffed with shrapnel. With each attack, more of its 24,000 residents are added to the list of those treated for "shock." Psychologists and mental health workers describe the fear induced by each new attack and the randomness of the threat. "It's trauma upon trauma upon trauma," said Tami Sagi, director of psychological services in Sderot. Even taking a shower is stressful, Sderot's residents say. Rockets can strike anywhere, anytime, and with the water running, people cannot hear the alert and take shelter. The Cohens, like most families, spend the nights like refugees. They spread mattresses on the floor of the living room every evening, afraid to sleep in the upstairs bedrooms in case a rocket comes smashing through the roof. Dr. Adriana Katz runs the city trauma center for shock victims. The aim, she said, is to prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome, a potentially chronic condition that can cripple lives. "But we can't talk of post-trauma yet," Dr. Katz said. "There is no 'post.' It's all the time. The 'post' isn't even on the horizon."
2007-06-01 01:00:00
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