Southern Israeli city of Sderot is tired of cease-fires
Fourteen years of rockets have bred hard feelings in the southern Israeli city of Sderot — which range from despair to utter despair — with residents actually hoping for a continuation of the battles, and frustration over the fact that the IDF did not conquer the Gaza Strip.
SDEROT, Israel — On Aug. 13, the last day of the cease-fire — which was subsequently extended by five days — it's hard not to notice the neglected appearance of Sderot. Three wars between Israel and Hamas within five years have exhausted this city, which has the misfortune to be located in close proximity to Gaza’s bloody neighborhood. Now it’s the afternoon. In less than eight hours the time set for the end of the cease-fire will arrive, the second in less than a week. Residents here live with the feeling that they can’t expect much of life, there’s nothing to expect from peace and nothing to expect from the future. Fourteen years of rocket strikes and thousands of “color red” alarms have bred very hard feelings that range from despair to utter despair.
A few hours before the expiration of the cease-fire, it seems that the busy traffic of the morning hours has calmed down. The roads leading to Sderot and to neighboring communities have emptied, as if residents have rushed to get away from the area. In the three days of the latest cease-fire there has been a sense that life is returning to its usual course. Now, toward the evening, as the clock advances toward midnight, the tension is building up. The city and its surroundings enter a state of readiness for rocket attacks.