It has all been said already yet for southern residents, it is not just a matter of being neglected, treated as second-class citizens, but their daily reality presents new life-threatening dangers and it appears that no one in the government seems to be paying attention.

Southern area residents are incapable of understanding how their defense minister continues to speak of a cease-fire, release verbal threats of a possible retaliatory military strike, yet their lives have reverted back to living in a war zone.

No less than 14 rockets struck southern areas on Wednesday, and Baruch Hashem, it was another day of miracles, no physical injuries. The rocket attacks are barely newsworthy, having become regular occurrences.

Nevertheless, there is an increasing number of residents who are indeed becoming victims of the hysteria and psychological stress, with a growing number of area residents unable to function properly, experiencing sleep disturbances, growing increasingly anxious when they are compelled to go outdoors, and this does not begin to address the fears of smaller children making their way to and from school. The renewed rocket attacks have also resulted in a cessation of any and all social activities and functions.

In a related matter, on Sunday, the IDF Homefront Command will conduct a major preparedness exercise in the Greater Sderot Area. Regional emergency service personnel will also take part in the exercise which will assess the area’s ability to address a major emergency situation. One of the main purposes of the exercise is to assess the ability of area residents to remain in secure rooms and bomb shelters for extended periods of time.

It should be pointed out that homes in the Shar HaNegev area do not have secure rooms and this is also the case in a number of other areas included in the major training event.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)