Civilians injured by Grad missile attack in Ashkelon evacuated by Search and Rescue Unit. Photo: IDF Spokesperson

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The reports that were received Monday morning (Dec. 29) from Ashkelon of the death of Hani Al-Madi from Qassam rocket fire upon a construction site, surely brought panic to the residents of Sderot, but a glance at the city will reaffirm to you that they have not lost hope.  On the contrary, they – those taking the full brunt of Hamas's retaliation attacks – fully support Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.  "The initial reports on the IDF's implementation of the operation made us feel a lot better.  We really feel that there is concern for us and that there is someone defending us,” explains Sapir Amir, a Sderot resident whose home was hit by a Qassam rocket.

In Sderot, as well as in other cities and municipal councils in the region, a city operation center was established.  This operation center works in conjunction with the municipalities and activates all the military and civilian forces, the rocket alert systems and other means of protection.  “These protective measures in the city provide security to the residents,” says Maj. Yair Adari, Officer the Civil Defense Unit in the Southern District of the Home Front Command, and points out that at this moment they are in the process of making further arrangements to add other means of protection to the city as well as in other cities and communities near the Gaza Strip.  Maj. Yair Adari is responsible of handling the municipality's operations room; “We are dealing with checking the maintenance of the "Color Red" early warning radar system and directing emergency and rescue forces to the scene – which includes the Police Force, Magen David Adom and firefighters.”  Moreover, the municipality's operations room provides a quick response to residents simultaneously with the telephone service system of the municipality.  Currently, there are hundreds of soldiers assisting the residents and security forces, the Search and Rescue Unit is among them, units in connection with local authorities, emergency civilian guides, military educators, and command personnel.  

Rocket Alert Beepers Being Distributed in Sderot

As part of the actions being taken to reinforce the rocket alert systems in the city, on Monday (Dec. 29) the Home Front Command began distributing beepers to all the families in Sderot in order to warn every time the "Color Red" alarm siren sounds throughout the city.  Newly recruited IDF trainees from the Nitzanim training base helped with the distribution of beepers in a thorough and supervised manner.

Despite all the dangers bound to the city of Sderot, people are arriving everyday in order to assist the residents.  Dvir and Leor, owners of a well-known bakery in Tel Aviv, drove South this morning to sweeten the lives of the residents of Sderot a little as they could by handing out 700 sufganiyot (traditional jam-filled doughnuts for the Hanukkah holiday).  "This is a small donation that we were able to give the residents on the last day of Hanukkah," explained Dvir. "We put aside three sufganiyot that are waiting for Gilad Shalit, for every Hanukkah holiday he's missed," Dvir added in hope.