[AP] Aron Heller - Six months after Israel ended its offensive against Gaza militants, the people of the rocket-scarred Israeli border town of Sderot are enjoying their calmest stretch in recent memory. The rocket attacks that made life unbearable have all but stopped. Playgrounds are filled with children on summer vacation, stores are bustling and the town's public swimming pool is open for the first time in five years. While some 220 rockets were fired at southern Israel since the Gaza offensive ended in January, the last rocket attack on Sderot was May 19. That compares to 7,865 rockets and mortars fired on southern Israel since Israel withdrew from Gaza in September 2005. At least 4,000 of those hit Sderot, making life miserable and increasingly dangerous. Eight people were killed and hundreds were wounded. Many in Sderot said they believe the current calm won't last, and that Hamas was using the tranquil period to prepare for another round of fighting.
2009-07-30 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive