No Sense of Security in the South

Stand for Israel  |  July 9, 2019

Five years ago, Israel was plunged into a full-scale war with Hamas during Operation Protective Edge. But in the years since the conflict ended, frequent and shorter rounds of terror attacks and fighting continue on Israel’s southern border with Gaza. Ynet News’ Matan Tzuri reports that residents of southern Israel find this reality even more difficult to deal with than all-out war:

Marking five years since the 2014 operation called Protective Edge, through the eyes of the border communities brings home the reality of life under constant threat.

There is no sense of security along the border. The first three and a half years after the fighting, residents in the south felt secure and enjoyed a semblance of normalcy but that has since dissipated. Residents say the question is not whether fighting will resume but when it will resume.

The 2014 war left many residents scarred after living under intense fire and having to find refuge further north with family, friends or in temporary housing…

Since the end of the 2014 campaign, there have been 12 rounds of fighting with heavy missile and rocket fire launched at civilian communities along the border, further destabilizing their lives and well being.

Mental health services in the south report a rise in demands for help especially from children.

“Each round of fighting seems to shave off another layer of resilience from the residents here,” said a senior member of the social welfare services…