About half an hour before we arrived at the Gaza outpost, kassam rockets landed near the tower you can see in the photo. From what we heard, they were fired from an evacuated settlement and four people were injured. Frankly, I am glad I didn't know that until we got back on the bus.When I called home later in the day to let people know I was okay, there had been no news of the attack. It's hard to imagine that I am in a place where rocket attacks are not news--harder still to see the impact living so close to Gaza has on nearby residents.
On the way to Sderot, a town that has been heavily hit, we were told that if we heard a siren we'd have about 15 seconds to find shelter--one of our guides pointed out which stores had concrete rooftops and suggested them as good options. This was the only time since I have been here that I have been scared. I think it was less the threat and more the air in Sderot.In addition to many closed stores, the town simply felt heavy. I talked to a couple of business owners. The man pictured below runs a clothing shop near an outdoor market said,
"It's been difficult. People are scared and will not go out to shop. It's quiet today but the residents suffer all the time and you should see how the people run." About 30 people can cram into his shop during attacks.Next: Visits with MASA volunteers, the northern border, Tsfat and more.
