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Israeli Town near Gaza Copes with Scars of Rocket Fire

(AP) Josef Federman - Three months after the latest war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the border town of Sderot (pop. 27,000) is bustling and the local real-estate market is booming. But underneath the veneer of normalcy, the scars of years of rocket fire run deep. No place in Israel has been hit harder by Palestinian rocket fire than Sderot, 1.5 km. (1 mile) from the Gaza border. Next to every park and bus stop is a small concrete bomb shelter - often decked out with colorful murals and street art. An Iron Dome rocket defense battery sits on the eastern edge of town. Rockets have been landing in the town for two decades. During the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in May, nearly 300 rockets were fired at Sderot. Despite the protection of the Iron Dome, 10 rockets scored direct hits on buildings - including a strike that killed a 5-year-old boy. Local resident Dvora Biton said, "It's something that you think about 24 hours a day. You can't escape it, even when you are sleeping."
2021-08-12 00:00:00
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