BICOM

One year after Operation Cast Lead, the residents of the Israeli cities close to Gaza are slowly rebuilding their lives. In the last eight years, approximately 9,000 rockets and mortars have been fired at these areas by Hamas militants, from Gaza.

In the year leading up to Operation Cast Lead, more than 3,200 rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza into Israel. During the operation itself, more than 850 rockets and mortar shells were fired. Using weapons imported with the help of Iran, Hamas extended the range of their attacks to 40km, bringing nearly one million Israelis within range.

Since the Operation ended, the number of rockets and mortars fired has decreased dramatically. 197 rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza since Hamas declared a ceasefire on 18^th January 2009. Very few have fallen in populated areas. The huge reduction in the number of rockets fired has created a transformation for Israelis living within range. For the past year, their lives have returned to some semblance of normality.

The onslaught of rockets meant that residents of Israeli towns like Sderot and Ashkelon were constantly on alert for the ‘Code Red’ alarm warnings, which would give them just 15 seconds to find their way to a bomb shelter before a rocket hit.

Since 2001, 18 people have been killed by Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks and hundreds more wounded, but the effects of these attacks have spread much wider, with huge numbers of residents exhibiting psychological symptoms.

Two residents who have been directly affected by the rocket attacks have spoken to BICOM about their experiences before, during and after Operation Cast Lead.

Tal Dorot, from Ashkelon, is in the fourth year of his film studies course at Sapir College, near Sderot.

“When the operation began it was a case of finally the government is taking things into their hands and trying to change the reality that has been the reality here for seven years”

“I’ve never experienced normal life here, so it’s interesting to see that people can sit outside on the grass and have their lunch without worrying about attacks”

“It’s not something we talk about. It’s like we’re suppressing it in a way. I don’t talk to my family about it. It was really awful, it was three weeks of living hell…it wasn’t easy at all. But we’re used to not easy times here I guess so the pattern is you suppress it and move on.”

David Wolfson, born in the UK, is the manager of the community work department for social services in Ashkelon.

“When people are living in a very confined space like a bomb shelter…you lose your sense of time, the time is dictated by the situation…There’s a feeling of loss of confidence, a  loss of ability to know what to do. ”

“Some people manage to get on with their lives and go back to work or to school, but other people have found it very difficult. They’ve had to take medication, some people have had to go to group therapy or individual therapy with psychiatrists/psychologists, and some people are just not able to go back to the lives that were there before”

“I saw the news on Channel 2 of what Gaza looks like today… Regardless of the politics of the situation, to see that nothing has changed in over a year, as a person, as a parent, it’s really hard to see… from a personal point of view my heart goes out to them”.

You can listen to the podcasts in full here

For more statistics of rocket fire into Israel click here

For further resources please see Gaza Facts & Analysis on the BICOM website