(Jerusalem Post) Yaakov Lappin - Early Wednesday, Ashkelon's 117,000 residents awoke to air raid sirens and blasts in the skies. Hamas fired a heavy salvo of deadly Grad rockets at Ashkelon, and Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket shield intercepted them all. "It's frightening to wake up to seven blasts in the morning," said Elad, 33. "Every interception causes two to three more thuds as the rocket disintegrates." The presence of the Iron Dome has made a world of a difference, he said, but the reality of living in a city targeted by rockets from Gaza remained surreal and disturbing. Locals are on alert for the sirens at all times, whether walking down the street, driving, or dropping their children off at school. Elad's mother was wounded by a rocket attack on an Ashkelon shopping center in 2008, and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Every time an air raid siren goes off, she suffers a bout of anxiety, he said. "We don't want war. I don't hate Arabs. But we've been under rocket attacks for years."
2012-10-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive