Everyone has experienced threats at some point in their lives. Cities within 40 kilometers (km) of the Gaza border have experienced the threat of missiles launched from terrorist groups in the Gaza strip for 12 years. For this reason, I, along with many other members of WOFI, was a little nervous to visit Sderot and other Gaza-border towns. The fact that Sderot and other cities in the region took over 140 missiles this past weekend definitely did not help. However, when we arrived in Sderot and saw how beautiful and seemingly safe it was, our concerns began to disappear. Since Israeli forces left Lebanon in 2000, Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and other smaller villages in the region became the targets of over 30,000 rocket attacks. Over 10,000 of these missiles have hit Sderot, a town less than a kilometer from the border, resulting in 22 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
When we first reached Sderot, we visited the police station. In front of the station were hundreds of missiles that had exploded in Sderot. Being able to hold the shell of a missile sent from Gaza really made me able to realize the hardship that residents of Sderot encounter every day. Different terrorist organizations in Gaza launch different kinds of rockets; the Sderot police can tell the difference between the missiles and identify which organization launched them. The most common missiles are Kassam rockets launched by Hamas. Some terrorist groups put stickers on the rockets so that the groups are given more attention in the media which instills more fear in the public.
Due to technological advances over the years, rockets have increased in range – from 3 km to 40 km- as well as in size. With the increased size of the missile head, the rocket can hold over 1500 bullets, sending shrapnel and bullets 20-30 meters from the explosion. The rockets are either created in underground facilities in Gaza or are supplied by the Iranians and Russians via the Iranians through tunnels from Sinai to Gaza. This means that a possible step for the army to slow the steady stream of rocket fire would be to try to take out the supply lines into Gaza on which the missiles travel.
The primary purpose of the government in the rocket situation is to save as many lives as possible. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) deploys anti-missile weaponry, known as Iron Dome batteries, in certain areas in the region to knock out the rockets before they hit cities. The IDF values lives very highly because one rocket from the Iron Dome costs $60,000 to launch, and two rockets are needed to take out one $250 Kassam rocket. Also, the police force of Sderot does not really need to deal with local crime; it is solely focused on dealing with the daily events in the area regarding missiles from Gaza. Also, the government has created bomb shelters all over the city and has even begun to create impenetrable buildings. In fact, a reinforced school was just hit this past weekend and we were able to see the burn on the outside of the building. These defense measures show how prepared and willing Israel is to protect its citizens.
According to Commander Kobi Merom: “We do not have an effective deterrence along the Gaza border. It is critical for Israel to have an effective deterrence along all its border. Operation Cast Lead in 2008 did not complete the task of eliminating most of the Hamas capability to attack Israel.” I agree wholeheartedly with Kobi. It is crucial for Israel to use force in order to showcase its power in the area or else the rockets will never stop coming. In order for the missiles to end, Hamas needs to fear Israel. In order for Hamas to fear Israel, Israel must showcase its superior force with another operation similar to Cast Lead.