Locals in Israel and Gaza run for cover, hiding in wardrobes from the militant attacks
The violence is the worst in years and has caused casualties on both sides. Militants have fired hundreds of rockets towards Israel since Monday night, and Israel has responded by hitting targets in Gaza. The southern Israeli city of Ashkelon has borne the brunt of the latest heavy barrages of Gaza rockets. The Hamas militant wing warned it would make life "hell" here, and that is how it has seemed for locals. The constant wail of warning sirens sends them scrambling for cover. Overhead, loud bangs and trails of white smoke across the blue sky as Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system intercepts most of the launches from nearby Gaza.
However, several buildings have been directly hit. Two women were killed. Dozens of people have been rushed to the hospital for treatment. Many of the older buildings here do not have the bomb shelters that now come as standard in Israel. One woman spoke of the terrifying moment before dawn when a missile hit her home as she hid in her wardrobe. Many here are bracing themselves for the heavy exchange of fire to continue for days." It will go far, this round of violence," says one man, Yossi Asulin. "Now that there are people killed, people here want to solve the problem [with Hamas] once and for all."
In Gaza, smoke is still rising into the air, and the streets are full of rubble. Palestinians are assessing the damage after a night of violence. One family in northern Gaza has lost five members killed by an Israeli airstrike, including two young brothers who were filling sacks of straw at the time. Gaza has not experienced a situation like this for years. This miserable, overcrowded city knows very well what war means. The main commercial street in the city centre is almost empty except for a few shoppers. Most shops were closed ahead of Eid al Fitr - the most important religious and social occasion for Muslims.
"This is Israeli terrorism; we are innocent civilians. My children are terrified. They do not want to go home again for fear of renewed airstrikes," says one woman - screaming and carrying her young child as she escapes from the building. Since the round of fighting began, residents have rushed to their homes to flee the bombing. Gaza has no shelters or air raid sirens, so residents have no other options but hide in their homes.
0 Comment