The eerie ambulance sirens outside my window sound like old World War II movies set in Europe. But they are real, not video or fiction.
Here in Jerusalem, it is quiet. Perhaps too quiet for a Saturday night.
However, over 278 rockets were fired over Shabbat from Gaza into Israeli population centers. It is important to remember – at least 40 fell short, hitting Gazans. From the 2,900 rockets fired at Israel this past week, 450 fell in Gaza. They are killing their own. Also, the Israeli Electric Company will not be able to restore power to Gaza, because it is too dangerous now. Gazan rockets caused damage to their electricity supply.
In 2008, a cement caterpillar was built for the safety of children in Sderot. Frequent rockets from Gaza had made playing outside dangerous, now they had a place to shelter near their swings in the park.
I wrote about a visit south after attacks from Gaza three years ago.
Two years ago Kibbutz Alumim was under attack from Gaza. Their bomb shelters were placed closer to the factory entrance.
New schools built in the southern Israeli communities have multiple bomb shelters inside and on the grounds for children to seek a safe space.
Since 2012 I have been posting about raining rockets from Gaza.
Trips south to see bombed-out buildings much too frequent.
In 2012, seeing the Iron Dome at work for the first time was memorable,
but the new photos circulating of the iron dome at work are amazing.
At midnight May 16, 2021, a new barrage of rockets from Gaza was aimed at Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Tel Aviv, this was after multiple rockets during the days prior, day and night.
Sunday the IDF issued a statement: In response to continuous rocket fire at Israeli territory, over the last 24 hours, IAF fighter jets and aircraft struck over 90 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip.
What is important to remember, there is no equivalency between the terrorists in Gaza aiming thousands of rockets at civilian populations from in civilian locations to cause as much harm, even to their own when those rockets fall short and kill Gazans, to the Israeli precision strikes at terror structures and proclaimed terror leaders.
Here is the hospital shelter we had to go to in Tel Aviv, including patients fresh from surgery who had to get out of their beds, during a siren alert.
Where will this end? No one knows. Israel is trying to destroy the underground network and infrastructure of the terrorists. If Hamas stops the rocket and missile fire from Gaza – it’s over – at least for this time.
I have been on the road when a supposed cease fire was declared in the past, and no surprise, more rockets were fired.
Rockets from Gaza have and continue to kill Israelis in their homes. The damage to families running to shelter night after night is hard to calculate. But with every rocket or missile, there is injury, if not physical, emotional and psychological.
The Shavuot holiday begins soon, and I will leave you with a photo of some of the flowers I saw in Tel Aviv. Time is short, so I will save the photos of the outdoor cafes filled with diners one night – and empty the next.
At least the pizza delivery guys were busy as people stayed in off the streets.
And to end with a tradition, this “Hatikvah” was at the conclusion of a ceremony at Yad Vashem, “The Hope” – for better times ahead.
חג שמח
Happy and safe holiday for all.