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The Home Front in the 2021 Gaza War

(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Col. (res.) Gili Shenhar - During the 2021 Gaza War there were an average of 400 rocket attacks each day, nearly four times the average during the 2014 War or the 2006 Second Lebanon War. 120 rockets were fired toward central Israel, including Tel Aviv. Ashkelon was the target of 111 barrages of 960 rockets. Ashdod was targeted by 253 rockets and suffered much physical damage. The civilian front displayed a high level of functional resilience. Recovery was orderly and rapid. The public in general felt that the military campaign was justified, partly because it was Hamas that began the fighting. The protection provided by the Iron Dome defense system, the improved warning system (with 1,700 localized alarm zones), and detailed and clear Home Front Command instructions enabled a sense of security. This time the Israeli civilians living near Gaza were protected from terrorist infiltration through attack tunnels thanks to underground and aboveground barriers constructed at a cost of more than $1 billion. As in the past, particularly in the Gaza envelope communities, many residents decided to leave their homes until the fighting was over. This is now accepted as normative conduct, particularly for families with children. The writer is the academic coordinator of Emergency Management Programs at Tel Aviv University, and a spokesperson for the IDF Home Front Command in emergencies.
2021-06-07 00:00:00
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