Israel Prepares For All-Out Assault on Gaza
As tensions continue to rise in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the city of Sderot, located just a mile away from Gaza, is preparing for an all-out assault. Sderot has long been on the front lines of Israel’s wars with Hamas and its residents know the routine well. When rockets fall, they have only 15 seconds to get to safe rooms before potential impact.
This time, however, there is an unmistakable difference in the air. Residents are unwilling to return to the status quo after the recent Hamas-led assault that killed 1,400 Israelis. “We want to make these terrorist attacks stop,” says Maor Ben Haim, a resident of Sderot who evacuated his pregnant wife and children last weekend. “That’s it. We were too patient, too gentle. I think the nation is now united to do what should have been done a long time ago.”
Israel has expressed its readiness to crush Hamas, and many residents in Sderot are shipping out as Gaza prepares for the imminent ground invasion. Streets in the 40-mile fence that separates Gaza from Israel now lie largely empty, save for security forces, volunteers, and the few residents who have decided to stay. Approximately 90% of the working-class city’s 30,000 residents have left, seeking refuge in hotels or other parts of Israel. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of troops and armored vehicles have been deployed to the area in preparation for the ground assault.
Much of Sderot and its surroundings have been declared closed security zones, as the military uses the area for staging grounds on the border. New concrete road blocks have been installed to stop traffic, allowing artillery to blast shells into Gaza. From an overlook in the city, residents can witness the black plumes that rise from the sky as the shells from Israeli tanks hit their mark.
While the air and artillery assault on Gaza has resulted in the death of 2,750 Palestinians thus far, according to Palestinian health authorities, this does not bother Rachel Dahan, one of the few remaining residents in Sderot. Dahan, who is 85 years old and fluent in Arabic due to her upbringing in Morocco, used to visit Gaza frequently before the construction of the separation fence. Now she wants to see it erased: “If I could, I’d go kill them all.”
Most residents of Sderot were previously die-hard supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but many now curse his name. Despite evacuation orders from Israeli authorities, evacuation is not compulsory, resulting in volunteers bringing essential supplies to the remaining residents, such as 19-year-old Ukrainian refugee Veronica Odarchuk. Having fled the war in Ukraine a year-and-a-half ago, Odarchuk is now uncertain if her family made the right decision in coming to Israel, and wonders if Ukraine might be safer at this point.
The decision to evacuate is not easy for everyone. Yossi and Shmurit Edrich’s baby was born just hours before Hamas launched its most recent incursion into their town. Despite the premature birth and the baby’s need to stay in the hospital for a week, the Edrichs decided to evacuate their other children to ensure their safety. “My heart is breaking,” says Shmurit. “But I have four other children, I have to take care of them.”
The resilience center in Sderot anticipates that this evacuation will be longer-lasting than previous ones. Director Ayelet Shmuel states, “The city knows how to run,” but admits that this time, no one knows what will happen. Meanwhile, Israeli troops at a nearby staging ground are gearing up for a battle that they believe will be bloody. “Now we are going for our revenge,” says Capt. Nadav Mizrahi, a reserve officer deployed with a tank brigade. “To destroy everything from top to bottom. I’m sure we can do it. It will take time and cost lives. But it’s our country, we will do anything.”