Israel Educational Travel Alliance visits Western Negev hearing from local officials and activists about how to involve the region in future educational Israel trips Members of the Israel Education Travel Alliance visit southern Israel in January 2025 Ofir Libstein, who served as mayor of the Gaza-adjacent Sh’ar HeNegev Region, was killed on Oct. 7 while defending his family’s kibbutz, Kfar Aza, as was his son, Nitzan dedicated himself to transforming the image of the Gaza Envelope from that of a rocket-battered war zone into an attractive area for locals and tourists to visit the now-famous Darom Adom (Red South) festival attracting hordes of Israelis to gawk at the carpets of blooming kalaniyot displacements and regular rocket attacks on southern Israel Libstein’s mission is more relevant than ever program director at the Hallelujah Project met with dozens of representatives of Israel travel programs last month in Sderot and explained to them how they could be part of the effort to rehabilitate Israel’s south.  “In the past year everyone has been looking for ways to help this region and state bounce back and when we spoke with the kids we felt that they were done with people relating to them as victims and [that] the best remedy is to give them a platform to lead be activist and make this place bloom again,” said Moshe whose organization conducts educational workshops and activities that aim to strengthen ties between Israel and the Diaspora Moshe was speaking with members of the Israel Educational Travel Alliance, which held a summit last month to explore ways in which their organizations could adapt their programs to match the new post-Oct.7 reality and boost participation in their trips IETA is a consortium of over 100 Israel educational travel organizations programs and philanthropies housed at Jewish Federations of North America and includes groups such as Birthright Israel has not historically been a common stop on North American Israel travel experience itineraries “invite people from Israel and the world to discuss the revival of this area from a war zone to a place of red flowers blossoming.” manager of the Western Negev Region and of the communities along the Lebanese border at the Hallelujah Project it was important for them to gain a more tangible understanding of what they are defending when they face anti-Israeli accusations in places like college campuses “What Ofir did was change the perception from a war zone to a red flowers festival without doing anything else,” Moshe told the group “The red flowers were always there — the opposite of a place you need to keep distance from.” Libstein made a change by “spotting a resource that already exists and spurring a momentum around it not by changing reality but by seeing opportunity in a place which will change the perception and mindset and then will change reality.” Moshe said that the workshops he was pitching to the group of tour operators would be led by young survivors of Oct “Here is what we went through in the past year and here is how we move forward.” He suggested that tour operators begin their itineraries in the south with a visit to some of the Oct to discuss strategies to overcome negative perceptions of the Gaza Envelope and finish the day with a volunteering activity such as agricultural work together with Israeli teenagers said that it felt like the “dawn of a new era.” Speaking to eJP in Sderot after hearing about Moshe’s workshops we are on the verge of being able to bring hundress of couples here and collectively feel like we are doing holy work around helping which brings Jewish mothers on trips to Israel that among the key takeaways she gained from the summit was to move the volunteer experience they usually include in their programs from central Israel to southern Israel to transmit the themes of resilience and rebuilding after learning about the tragedy of Oct a psychotherapist who trains professional and paraprofessional teams from Jewish communities around the world and Israel in the field of psychological first aid Shmuel stressed the importance of providing tour operator staff with mental health first aid training before taking their groups to Israel but we need someone who knows how to facilitate it,” she said The group’s day in the south also included a culinary food tour in Sderot, to find new places for meals for participants when they travel to the area, and a meeting in Rahat with Shalev Biton a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre a Bedouin-Israeli man who saved his life along with dozens of others In addition to sharing their story with the group addressed questions about the best ways to engage with survivors from the Nova community “I think it’s very important for most of us to tell our stories — it’s like a therapy for me this kind of thing is absolutely therapy,” Biton said.  “It’s the best tool to show the truth to the world and what we went through on Oct to give some hope to the future in Israel,” he said adding that he draws hope and meaning from sharing his story He also said that he is open to all questions people may have about his ordeal and that “there is nothing that is forbidden to ask,” around the sensitive subject just like people feel they mustn’t ask certain questions I feel that I mustn’t share certain things — so it’s mutual,” he said director of the U.K.-based UJIA Israel Experience told eJP “It is likely that many of our groups of teens this summer will visit the Gaza Envelope and understanding how to frame this educational experience will be critical The IETA itinerary in the south — with visits to Nir Am Sderot and Rahat — helped construct the educational goals of these trips giving a clearer understanding of how we balance hope with tragedy.” IETA acting executive director and vice president for North America-Israel strategies said that the summit laid the foundations “to build new models that reflect today’s realities.” “Our next steps are to build upon the progress we made by continuing to spread these new best practices and moving toward tangible solutions to problems like flights to ensure that all who want to come to Israel can,” Langer said Copyright © 2025 · eJewishPhilanthropy · All Rights Reserved The philanthropy news you need to stay up to date Enter your email to gain access to our exclusive contentDon’t worry if you are already subscribed you won’t receive our newsletters twice © copyrights reserved to The Israel Democracy Institute Israel is the only OECD member that has neither regional elections nor a personal element in the electoral system This is not simply a technical issue but has far-reaching implications relating to the quality of representation and the obligation elected officials have toward their voters The nature of the electoral system is not merely a technical issue It is a central component of any democratic system—it is the means for translating citizens’ preferences into representation and policy Different systems implement these preferences in different ways and they also have different effects on the behavior of elected officials The last year has demonstrated the extent to which two characteristics of the existing electoral system in Israel are not only unhelpful but actually prevent the country from dealing with the huge challenges facing it: first there is an absence of any regional element to the system such that all of Israel constitutes a single electoral constituency given that the systems allows Israelis to vote only for parties there is an absence of any personal element Of the 35 developed democracies in the world (the membership of the OECD) Israel is the only one that has neither a regional nor a personal element leading to less accountability to the voters and a bias towards nationalized issues that do not address the needs of underserved populations we propose adopting a widely accepted electoral system among other countries (especially in Europe) which has also been recommended in the past in various forms by researchers The proposal is to divide the country into 12 constituencies each of which will elect between seven and 17 members of Knesset depending on the number of registered voters who reside in the constituency voters will be able not only to cast ballots for their preferred party but also to express a preference for several individual candidates affecting these candidates’ placement on the list This method has several salient advantages that are particularly relevant for the challenges currently facing Israel it would strengthen the connection between Knesset members and voters their near-total dependence on their party leaders The fact that Israel’s citizens vote only for electoral lists has always granted absolute power to political parties over the political future of Knesset members there were various different forces that acted within these parties and influenced their behavior the party leader wields almost total power This is the case in “person-centered” parties such as Lapid’s Yesh Atid but it is also true of parties that were not like this in the past such as the Likud under Netanyahu and Shas under Deri while members of parliament may serve as representatives of their party they are also representatives of the citizens or constituencies that directly elected them and they therefore also have an obligation to the much broader public rather than just to the party and its leader it is possible that if such a system were in place in Israel during the protests of the judicial overhaul era then some Knesset members from Likud—those representing more liberal areas or those interested in winning the votes of more liberal Likud voters—would have been more outspoken in their opposition to the government’s legislative program regarding the judicial system moving to such a system could reduce the severe political polarization afflicting Israel by creating “regional coalitions.” For example one could hope that Knesset members from different parties who represent different sectors (Jews and Arabs religious and secular) but who were elected from the area of Haifa would cooperate with one another in order to remove the polluting industries from the Haifa Bay; and that Knesset members elected from the outlying periphery would collaborate on promoting transportation This aspect holds great importance not only for solidarity in Israeli society which is particularly essential during wartime but also for the future of the country’s democracy: Studies show that severe political polarization is one of the biggest threats to democratic regimes such a system would result in a slate of Knesset members with a clear political interest in representing the periphery simply because they would be elected by residents of the periphery There are plenty of examples of the difference this might have made in the recent past: Perhaps if there were Knesset members who represented the western Negev prior to October 7 they would have insisted on reinforcing the civilian defense squads in the Gaza border region if there were Knesset members representing the Upper Galilee the pressure to enable evacuees to return to their homes (or at the very least to give them better treatment) would have borne fruit if there were Knesset members representing the southern Negev Israel would have confronted the Houthis in Yemen in response to the very first rockets fired at Eilat and not waited until the drone attack on Tel Aviv the arguments traditionally made against regional elections no longer hold water Israel is no longer a small country in terms of its population; it is as large as many European democracies that use regional systems Even tiny states such as Malta and Luxembourg or those with very small populations such as Iceland Neither is it possible to claim (especially after October 7) that all or even most of the main issues in Israeli politics are national defense challenges and the responses they require are different from region to region there is no reason to be particularly concerned about corruption: Corruption is always a problem but there is no evidence that corruption at the local level is more severe than at the national level and it is certainly more isolated and has less potential to cause large-scale damage at the local level reforming the electoral system is not simply a technical matter The low levels of obligation felt by elected officials toward voters in Israel the country’s sociopolitical polarization and over-centralization and the under-representation of the periphery are some of the most urgent problems currently threatening the future of the state It is unlikely that they can be overcome without a fundamental change in Israeli politics—which will necessarily involve reforming the electoral system An innovation center will be built next to the railway station in Sderot in southern Israel Construction of the first part of the center will begin shortly - four years after the foundation stone was laid will be covered by a donation from JNF Australia and a budget from the Tekuma administration responsible for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip border area The first building will have 3,000 square meters of space on two floors It is due to be ready for occupancy in May 2026 It will initially house a technology incubator with startup companies in the fields of defense from which there will be direct access to Sapir College will consist of three buildings with 10,000 square meters of space The innovation center is part of a broader plan of the Sha’ar Hanegev regional council for development of the region "Construction of the innovation center is a significant step towards rehabilitation of the region It will represent an important economic and social lever and will allow residents of the area new opportunities in employment and technology," said the council’s acting chairperson Yossi Keren Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 1 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. Israelis were horrified to watch terrorists taking over the city of Sderot early on Oct The police station was completely destroyed and 70 lives were tragically lost many of whom were police officers bravely fighting against the unprecedented attack on men 18 pillars have been arranged in a circle at the site of the old police station as a memorial to those who were murdered the day or during the war that has been raging since the terror attack Constructed from the building's remnants the pillars display words from Sderot residents and are accompanied by a soundtrack created by two of the local residents the memorial site was dedicated to those lost in a moving ceremony held one year after the attack ALL ISRAEL NEWS correspondent Kayla Sprague said a testament of bravery and reminder of the price for our freedom.” One of the fallen soldiers honored at the ceremony was Alexey Shmeklov who left a notebook expressing his thoughts while he was serving in the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza spoke with ALL ISRAEL NEWS at the unveiling of the memorial Valdman reminded visitors that the residents of Sderot have suffered some 20 years of missiles launched toward their city but said the ground invasion and massacre on Oct “This memorial site is something that gives us a lot of hope… just to remember what happened here and on the other hand to look forward,” he said echoing the sentiments of many who view the memorial as a beacon of hope Valdman the memorial will help people “to accept what happened here with the hope that maybe someday with the courage of those people and with the fight they did for this country we can move forward for peace in the future.”  He added that the memorial stands as an act of solidarity with the people of Sderot affirming: “For us to know that [Israel] remembers the soldiers The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel The Israeli military announced on Monday evening that it intercepted two rockets launched from the Gaza Strip targeting the Sderot settlement and adjacent areas “Following the sirens that sounded at 19:02 in the communities near the Gaza Strip two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip were intercepted by the IAF (air force),” it said in a statement the army reported that sirens had been activated in Sderot and surrounding regions Israel’s Army Radio noted this was the first time sirens had blared in Sderot since the ceasefire in Gaza ended adding that the rockets originated from northern Gaza the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement said it fired a salvo of rockets toward Israeli settlements near Gaza announced it shelled Ashkelon with rockets while the Israeli military said it intercepted two projectiles launched from northern Gaza toward the southern coastal city bordering the strip The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18 killing at least 730 people and injuring nearly 1,200 others despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 113,200 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023 The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave 7 need to be shared by the people who experienced them and by the loved ones of those who are no longer here to speak for themselves Before going to Israel in March, several people warned me about visiting the sites of the horrific terror attacks of Oct. 7. They worried I might be participating in “trauma tourism,” a term used by critics who fear that such trips exploit historical sites of violence to increase charitable giving. As a grantmaker with the Seattle-based Samis Foundation traveling to visit grantees and attend the Jewish Funders Network conference in Jerusalem I did not want our day trip to the South to put potential grantees in traumatic situations through retelling their stories from 10/7 I am sensitive to the power dynamic of funders coming to visit but I also learned that for some survivors the urge to share their stories had nothing to do with whether their visitors were funders or not they share what happened because their loved ones cannot.  The first stop on our trip to the South was Sderot a border town that has been under rocket fire from Gaza for years teachers and administrators at the Amit school; most had only just returned from temporary housing in the Dead Sea where whole families lived in one hotel room each for the past five months Over 90% of this town of 28,000 were evacuated Each resident we spoke with shared their Oct One 16-year-old student attributed her survival to oversleeping that morning: She would have been at synagogue for Simchat Torah with her grandfather had she woken up on time; instead she and her grandfather hid in a closet for 24 hours until they were rescued and evacuated We learned about Hamas’ attempt to seize the Sderot police station, and their plan to use Israeli police vehicles to infiltrate synagogues that would be packed with worshippers for Simchat Torah and Shabbat. In a now-legendary story of incredible courage the Sderot police and community volunteers held off hundreds of terrorists for several hours until help from the IDF finally arrived After an intense battle where the terrorists barricaded themselves inside the police station with wires and remains of rubble still present along with a memorial to the eight police officers and other residents of Sderot who were killed in the attack Two large murals depicting the Simchat Torah battle and honoring both victims and fighters adorn the walls outside We entered through the main gate and were escorted to a tree-lined square surrounded by a theater and dining hall Upon entering the main administrative offices we saw photos of the nearly one hundred residents who were murdered on Oct as well as pictures of the hostages still in captivity Astrid told us how she fell in love with the kibbutz community 30 years ago and never left As we traversed the walkways between homes forensics teams were collecting soil to test for DNA Many families are still waiting for definitive news about their loved ones If you closed your eyes and replaced the burnt-out scenes of horror with ordinary you could imagine the idyllic community that Be’eri was just six months earlier You could imagine what a safe and loving place this was to raise a family But the carnage was vast and in every direction residents initially felt safe because it sounded as though the barrage was being aimed at cities in the distance They realized all too soon that this was just cover for the ground invasion they heard and saw terrorists infiltrating their kibbutz terrorists set fire to the homes to smoke out whole families but far too many perished by fire in the “safe” rooms or when they were driven out by smoke and flames and shot by the terorists Numerous signs stand in testimony before burnt-out homes 11 members of Kibbutz Be’eri remain hostages in Gaza it was very clear that for the people whom we met there may be a dozen who don’t want to meet or even speak to anyone and we were there to listen to each story and bear witness We have a whole world of people trying to downplay the atrocities and it only increases their anguish and pain Bearing witness provides both emotional and practical support Coming to Israel now and visiting the South is not tourism It is a tangible way to stand with our Israeli family and declare we see you we believe you — and we will carry your stories across the globe so no one can ever deny what happened here * Names and some details have been changed to respect the subjects’ privacy Melissa Rivkin is the director of day school strategy for the Samis Foundation '#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + 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function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/rocket-alert-sirens-sounding-in-sderot-zikim-nir-am-and-other-gaza-border-towns\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=S0r1YVYVsRpVgJPazaOSJtMprUXixmedvTgA8uXubb4-1746503109-1.0.1.1-svtml7qwLaVyFl6qE2QJaRyRkXCVtVwvEAj2IEquNkc" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-says-two-rockets-fired-toward-sderot-were-intercepted\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=NqB_8HEV9F1ym8rRfmSSsmIHnBbUR_S3jzVrVpjxfZA-1746503112-1.0.1.1-WMtvnyl.i5UAPliXx7H3QtuUMBxRIL0zXLuv2SrvDXM" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Among the most indelible sights in Israel’s national memory of Oct 7 is the battered ruin of the police station in Sderot which was so damaged during the 24-hour battle against Hamas terrorists that it eventually had to be completely demolished thousands of Hamas terrorists broke through the Gaza border bulwark a city of some 30,000 residents which is just around a kilometer (less than a mile) from the border the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published its investigation of the battles in Sderot where 53 Israelis were killed: 37 civilians The IDF determined that in the defense of the city The military also found that there was “full responsibility on the Northern Brigade” of the Gaza Division which was responsible for security in that area but did not even maintain a defense file for the city the brigade did not have set procedures for how to protect and defend the city in an emergency: “Sderot is within the operational area of the Northern Brigade “The IDF had misguided concepts and failures over the years that placed the operational end in a situation it couldn’t prevent The responsibility lies with the Northern Brigade Misguided concepts for years,“ according to the probe the city itself had also barely been prepared for an invasion with the few security measures in place even being weakened shortly before it was decided to take all the rifles from the city’s emergency squad because there was no weapons depot that was up to regulations the members had to fight with pistols against terrorists armed with RPGs and grenades The emergency squad also hadn’t trained to repel an invasion during the two years preceding Oct Among the small achievements during the fierce fighting is the fact that no resident of Sderot was kidnapped and all 41 Hamas terrorists were either killed or captured the IDF was wholly unprepared to defend the city and slow to react in real time The first troops arrived some one and a half hours after the invasion started Several other factors contributed to the failure including the city’s emergency squad having no adequate weapons and the lack of any unified command structure The municipal control center collapsed early in the morning Footage circulating on social media created panic leading to calls for help that drew some 1,000 soldiers to the city who did not have effective command and could have been used in other areas an intact command structure should have blocked roads inside the city to limit the movement of the terrorists “Had a warning been issued to the city when the terrorists first infiltrated the area inside the security fence it would have been possible to set up blocking forces at key points at the city entrances and thwart enemy attacks,” according to the probe The invasion of Sderot began around 7 in the morning with Hamas terrorists infiltrating the city in two main squads with their infamous white pick-up trucks traveling along Begin Boulevard the first footage of the heavily armed terrorists on their trucks began circulating on social media alarming the country that something had seriously gone wrong in the south One squad of some nine terrorists infiltrated and murdered several pensioners at a bus stop The same terrorists then tried to capture the mall but ran into a squad of elite Yamam border police soldiers other terrorists began infiltrating several of Sderot’s residential neighborhoods and murdered several people there IDF and police forces cobbled together from several different units achieved operational control of most of the city The main terror squad of 26 terrorists had immediately aimed for the police station they killed three police officers outside the building before breaking in During the attempt of the police officers to get to the roof four terrorists were killed by one of the officers Several other officers barricaded themselves on the roof and called for help a first police force of six officers arrived at the station and began battling the terrorists a second unit arrived and entered the station Only two hours after the start of the battle did a commando unit arrive on the scene the force broke into the station and rescued several wounded police officers until the Yamam commando began a “pressure cooker” procedure in which a building is completely surrounded up to the use of heavy artillery and airstrikes A first escape attempt by the terrorists was foiled at this stage the remaining terrorists tried to break out but tanks and bulldozers arrived and systematically destroyed the building all of the terrorists in the police station were eliminated within 24 hours Around 16 Israelis were killed in the battle around the police station including 10 police officers and six civilians “The IDF failed in its mission,” the investigation concluded “The army was not prepared for a broad surprise raid There was no depth defense – not for a company All defense was based from behind the fence quick solutions must be found for a broad raid.” Another conclusion was that “the city of Sderot must receive a permanent force to protect it.” With an uptick of rockets from Hamas in the past weeks the second time since Operation Swords of Iron and the third time since Operation Protective Edge Hamas terrorists in northern Gaza fired three rockets at the city of Sderot late Monday morning One rocket hit the courtyard of the home of Chabad shluchim in the city This was the second time during the war that their home was hit by a rocket and the third overall – their home sustained a direct rocket hit during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 The Pizems said they hadn’t yet completed the repairs from the previous rocket impact Army Radio reported that the rocket fell only 100 meters from a children’s daycare The children were playing outside the building only minutes before the siren sounded The IDF said that another rocket was intercepted and a third hit an open area MDA paramedics evacuated a 68-year-old woman in mild condition to Barzilai Hospital after she was injured on her way to a protected space An IDF spokesperson stated that “following alerts that were activated between 11:11 and 11:12 in Sderot three launches were identified crossing from the northern Gaza Strip Hamas has been regularly targeting Israel with rocket fire Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" "\/liveblog_entry\/rocket-sirens-sound-in-sderot-ibim-close-to-gaza-border\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=41V0p4fQYdeJcOcBel7qhUd935pXDi668CYQZahkYyE-1746503134-1.0.1.1-QR_EE0ibLAIBFavsPksOgGVJwm1kuHpmiwoRpqpyaXg" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Our weekly email is chockful of interesting and relevant insights into Jewish history Welcome to the first playground in the world that is properly protected from falling rockets Walking from the office after a long day at work to catch some sleep Usually the city is deathly quiet once the sun sets as parents refuse to let children play outside in the dark Families prefer to remain at home together after a long day of siren alerts and rocket explosions High schoolers don't ride around as much with the music blasting and teenagers don't walk around listening to their iPods in case the "tzeva adom" red alert sounds There's not much to do at night except maybe watch a movie and hope that Hamas rocket launchers decide to go to sleep so that those of us living in Sderot can relax just a little bit I was surprised when I noticed people outside on the street For the first time since I've come to work in Sderot I am seeing moms walking around with their strollers and neighbors playing cards outside on the porch A playground is full of children shouting and playing -- that is one sight that makes me do a double take Then I realized that this is the new playground that everyone is talking about -- the first playground in the world that is properly protected from falling rockets There are heavy concrete tubes that children can run to when the siren sounds for protection Moms are finally feeling that it is safe enough to let their children play at a playground The children look like they are having fun "I can finally let my grandkids outside to play in this new playground when they come to visit me in Sderot," says Orna "Usually I have to keep them pent up inside the house It's nice to have a playground like this where the children can play somewhat at peace but it's obviously not a solution to living with the rocket fire." About 70 to 94 percent of Sderot children now show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder the children of Sderot definitely deserve some kind of break reported that the number of cases of shock and panic among Sderot residents has only risen since the beginning of the year because we know the rocket fire will resume soon," says Katz "Most people anticipate another heavy round of rocket fire based on what happened in the last cease-fire." over 300 Palestinian rockets were fired at Sderot from Gaza during the last Hamas cease-fire from November 2006 to May 2007 nine Qassams and mortar shells have been fired at Sderot and the western Negev communities in the past month it will be the residents of Sderot and the western Negev who pay a heavy price for this temporary calm Although we are all enjoying this nice respite from the hell we've been experiencing this year — over 2,000 Qassams and mortar shells have hit the western Negev since January killing four people and wounding hundreds — we know that the worst is being planned out now How long will the Israeli government allow Sderot residents to act as pawns in Hamas's strategic game of rocket warfare Until next time … see you at the new playground Anav Silverman is a 2004 Calais High School graduate She works in the Sderot Media Center and is a student at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan Thank you for signing up for the aish.com free newsletter Hamas destroyed the local police station in Sderot Located very close to the border with the Gaza Strip the city of Sderot was one of the hardest hit in the brutal attack They recently unveiled a memorial that combines murals and pillars reaching toward the sky with recordings of heartbreaking voices from that day including the call of a six-year-old girl who after witnessing the murder of her parents two murals depict two lions and Hebrew letters ascending to heaven symbolizing the strength and spirituality of the community and the memory of those who died The site includes a walkway with debris from the station and memorial plaques for the victims the documentary premiered at the city's last Film Festival The battle of the Sderot police which recounts the events with material collected from security cameras email and website in this browser for the next time you comment This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Aurora Israel News in Spanish Minute by minute on all the events in Israel © Copyright 2024 Aurora Israel. All Rights Reserved. | Site Developed by Codetribe Israel | Contact Us The Iron Dome in action | Photo: Defense Ministry Three rockets were launched toward Sderot on Monday with the Iron Dome defense system successfully intercepting one projectile while search teams located the third in an open area outside the city limits a 68-year-old woman sustained minor injuries while rushing to a shelter Magen David Adom emergency teams provided immediate medical attention before transporting her to Barzilai Hospital where she remained in stable condition and fully conscious The impact site of one rocket was identified as the yard of a local Chabad emissary marking the third time his residence has been targeted by rocket fire since Operation Protective Edge in 2014 The resurgence of rocket fire has sparked immediate action from Sderot's parent community initiated an emergency campaign through parent groups to suspend school activities indefinitely "This reality is becoming intolerable," she told Israel Hayom describing the situation as incomprehensible and vowing to lead efforts to halt educational activities until security conditions improve The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet has approved a wide-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip dubbed "Gideon’s Chariots," aimed at defeating Hamas.. The plan includes conquering the Gaza Strip and holding territory moving the civilian population southward for its protection "It's time to stop fearing the word occupation," Smotrich said outlining Israel's strategy in Gaza and discussing ultra-Orthodox conscription at.. Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-says-it-intercepted-another-rocket-fired-from-gaza-at-sderot\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=M.mqiZV2rUKbJz9vglTqPkc1iyJmlJz4wCB0yV46EMA-1746503201-1.0.1.1-Bf4vV7dePjlquS_STHybS0Uw__TMeK3K1iLG.2ucCB8" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-two-rockets-fired-from-gaza-at-sderot-one-intercepted-one-hits-open-area-none-hurt\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=.tbRXUKB.uURNh_5csbfPezZuUxINTz6K3NVPQasLg0-1746503208-1.0.1.1-8Ts2bhWOyiEXYHY09wEIlDcvuq7rcbp8Kri935Liz2A" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null the Israeli railway line connecting the cities of Ashkelon and Sderot suspended its service in response to the ongoing risks associated with its proximity to Gaza.  the IDF has implemented advanced security measures state-of-the-art technology and enhanced surveillance capabilities to ensure the safety of passengers and operations the line will resume operations starting February 1 marking major progress in the process of restoring the strategic infrastructure in the western Negev The railway line was also one of the main targets during the massive attack on 7 October 2023 Sderot station suffered significant damage and railway operations were halted as a precaution Although the station partially reopened in March 2024 doubling travel time between Sderot and Tel Aviv The Planning Authority approved the construction of a protective wall in the most vulnerable areas of the route particularly from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who called the investment a concession to attacks from Gaza If the railway service was suspended since May 23 for safety reasons Upgrades reflect 'deep commitment to the city and its residents' A new project to upgrade housing in the southern Israeli city of Sderot has been allocated a NIS 15 million budget (over $4 million) for an urban renewal program This initiative addresses the growing demand for housing due to Israel's increasing population the Israeli Tkuma Directorate and the Ministry of Construction and Housing with the Governmental Authority for Urban Renewal announced the budget allocation and plans for Sderot Acting Head of the Tkumah Directorate Yossi Sheli said the initiative aims to “reduce disparities between new and old neighborhoods” by maximizing the use of current housing and optimizing land utilization The budget will be used to fund evacuation and construction projects focusing on upgrading older neighborhoods and constructing thousands of new housing units The Jerusalem Post reported that an Urban Renewal Directorate has already been established within the Sderot Municipality at a cost of an additional NIS 4 million (nearly $1.1 million) to liaise with the community throughout the renewal process Sheli said the allocation of funds was a “significant step towards improving the urban and social fabric of the city.” "The investment in the Urban Renewal Directorate will be carried out in close collaboration with the community and will ensure the realization of our vision for upgrading the city and improving the quality of life for its residents," he added Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf stated: "The approval of the budget for planning urban renewal complexes in the older neighborhoods of Sderot reflects our deep commitment to the city and its residents "I am confident that the investment in developing and upgrading older areas in addition to promoting and executing new construction in the city under the roof agreement will enable us to provide Sderot's residents with a higher quality of life." Goldknopf assured the residents of the embattled southern city: "Our goal is to continue the process of transforming Sderot into a thriving city and to strengthen the resilience of its residents." expressed his hopes for the change the project will bring "The rapid development and massive renewal taking place in Sderot's older neighborhoods through which residents will enjoy new buildings more spacious apartments with significantly higher value are an integral part of our immense investment and the allocation of substantial resources to strengthen community resilience." "Despite the challenges we've faced and continue to face Sderot is constantly renewing and developing enjoying positive migration and wonderful residents," Davidi continued Thanks to all our partners in government ministries Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem "\/liveblog_entry\/sderot-ofakim-will-participate-in-oct-7-state-memorial-report\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=zLs9qLM2KdVXOJiBU3naWKQbwR6nDtTLJ0vC2tf8chM-1746503228-1.0.1.1-574gWe7ONU9VdckpoGI6Ue7OUw6xeRIisESxaS6VJ50" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Red Alert rocket sirens were sounded in Sderot on Tuesday night.בהמשך להתרעה שהופעלה בשעה 23:42 במרחב שדרות By subscribing I accept the terms of use and privacy policy Amdocs Israel general manager Harel Givon told the "Globes" Business in the South Conference at Sapir Academic College that operating in Sderot has paid off Talking to "Globes" High-Tech Editor Assaf Gilead on a panel discussing the role of the economy and high-tech in reviving the south "The company has values that it wants to promote Amdocs has been in Sderot for 22 years and we have grown with the city The deployment of Amdocs in Israel is according to our social values and we have offices in Nazareth Givon said that 86% of employees at the development center in Sderot live in the area "No one wants to evacuate from their place not only because they are satisfied but also because there is simply no alternative Amdocs is the only high-tech company that exists here and there is no problem finding personnel in the area and Sderot as a city is strong and we include youth in high-tech education." Givon added that he has met with companies in the industry to fulfill his promise to Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi "To do everything to bring five companies to open offices here and grow." This despite the fact that the high-tech industry in the world and in Israel is not growing at the moment "Every large company has 20-30 people who live in the south and it is better for them than traveling to the center of the country." According to him the government's plans are focused on the next two years while the businesses in the south need long-term help "We want talents in the field to want to live here and must take an active part in the restoration of this region of the country." Assaf Gilead noted that companies were reluctant to open development centers in the Gaza border region Givon responded that the basic conditions are education "It needs to be addressed through government benefits which until October 6th were in the right direction but now it needs to be at completely different multiples We need to give an incentive to workers beyond seven kilometer from the Gaza Strip in terms of taxation and we need to encourage people to build here and prepare five-year plans for the high-tech companies." a senior consultant for the Tekuma Administration to revive the Gaza border region and a former Ministry of Transport director general "People need to be given certainty about the future and a roof over their heads Employment worries all of us in order to bring about self-fulfillment and financial security but the people in the Gaza envelope are not there yet because most of them are still preoccupied with the basics of Maslow's pyramid of needs." in business and growth engines in the south so that at the end of five years it will no longer have to rely on government concessions and benefits and with a strong population where over 30% are academics." Full disclosure: The conference was sponsored by Bank Hapoalim and with the participation of Soroka Medical Center and Ashdod Port Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 4 warns that if Israel does not destroy Hamas now and return the hostages the world will not agree to such an operation in the future and the north will continue to live under fire "I hear voices talking about damage to the economy but is it acceptable for the residents of Sderot and the north to continue living in constant fear This situation is unbearable," says Davidi Davidi criticizes the public discourse and expresses frustration over the focus on political maneuvering instead of a real fight against terrorism "All I hear in the media is talk about Netanyahu's political maneuvers – not about decisive blows against Hamas We must all strive for Hamas' destruction The people of the Gaza border region and I want all the hostages back home and alongside that – Hamas completely eliminated." if Israel does not dismantle Hamas now and the hostages do not return the price civilians will pay in the next round of fighting will be far higher and not a day has gone by without hearing sirens and threats People talk about the cost we will pay – but what about the price we have already been paying for more than two decades?" Davidi calls on the government and the IDF to act decisively and to complete the mission by doing everything necessary to bring the hostages home "Do not withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor For heaven’s sake – Israel cannot afford to back down this time We must fight now – so we don’t pay an even heavier price in the future The people of Israel deserve a life of peace and security," Davidi concludes The IDF inquiry into the massacre and battle in the city of Sderot on October 7th found that the military failed at protecting the city led by Colonel Nitai Okashi—who assumed command of the city on October 8th one day after the murderous attack—revealed a series of failures that might have prevented the severe consequences The inquiry team divided the battle sites in the city into three main ones: The intense battle at the Sderot Police Station that at the Ahuzim and Naot Haneviim neighborhoods the inquiry pointed out the fact that the regional battalion and company that was responsible for defending the area were unsuccessful in influencing the fighting in the city there was a lack of organization in the area near the border limiting the IDF forces' freedom of operation it was emphasized that there is a need for an effective and quick method of alerting the city of a terrorist infiltration The inquiry also found several deficiencies in the city's security system including the response team's fitness and equipment the need for inter-organizational cooperation between the IDF and the police and appropriate alert systems for the city's residents the report also noted the importance of a quick and coordinated command concept in the field as reflected in the actions of the commander of the Southern District Police the commander of the Paratroopers Training Base the importance of civilian networks to bring troops to the field and gaining importance of fast operational control despite the difficult starting point 37 innocent civilians were brutally murdered The security forces and civilians who fought with supreme heroism also suffered heavy losses and many civilians and security personnel were wounded conducting a killing spree in the streets of the city while leaving behind destruction and terror Thanks to determined fighting by security forces and civilians The battle of Sderot ended when all the terrorists who had entered the city were either killed or captured; an exceptional result compared to other battles during the October 7th attack The inquiry was based on in-depth conversations and interviews with members of the security forces and local security response team who fought on the ground the careful inspection of the various forces' operation journals the collection and analysis of security footage recordings and transcripts of radio communication between the forces footage and images from body-cams worn by the terrorists Sderot Mayot Alon Davidi commented on the report: "The entire city of Sderot hurts for the families of the victims and fallen for the city and those murdered in our city The IDF's inquiry shows what we've already known we were not alerted about the infiltration of terrorists in our direction and only when they were already in the city did we learn about them "The city of Sderot paid a heavy price of 73 residents and police officers who were murdered on October 7th and the days to follow the Sderot Municipality has been working together with the state and the IDF to enhance the security in the city with the hope that it will never have to be used it is important to emphasize that some of the lessons were not implemented and not all the military needs were met yet and we call on the IDF and government to meet the needs The Sderot Municipality significantly enhanced the security system with a new department and other components that complement the military response." A Sefer Torah dedicated to fallen soldiers and civilians in Eretz Yisroel was completed at the police station in Sderot that was the site of an attack last Simchas Torah A heartfelt Siyum Sefer Torah took place last Thursday in Sderot The final letters were written in a special ceremony held at the former police station plaza The Torah was written thanks to the initiative of the Chabad House in Sderot and was dedicated with great emotion to the Chabad House in memory of police officers and civilians who tragically fell during Simchas Torah and in Operation Iron Swords Honored guests at the event included Rabbi Moshe Havlin head of the Chabad Yeshiva and Rov of Kiryat Gat and member of the Chabad Rabbinical Court; Rabbi Dror Twil Rabbi of Sderot; Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi; Health Minister Uriel Busso; Jerusalem and Tradition Minister Meir Porush; Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi; MK Alon Shuster; Rabbi Reuven Kamil Rabbi of the Southern District Police; Sderot Police Command senior commanders from the Southern District Police and IDF a joyous parade with the Torah took place through the city streets and the Torah was placed in the Aron Kodesh The evening ended with a grand seudas mitzva led by radio host Ami Maimon and shluchim who shared words of Torah and brachos expressed heartfelt thanks to all the supporters and everyone who helped make this important and holy event a success This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched three rockets this morning (Monday) towards the Sderot area One rocket exploded in the city and caused damage to a building Another rocket was intercepted by air defense systems Magen David Adom reported that no casualties were known at this stage "Following the sirens that sounded between 11:11 and 11:12 in the areas of Sderot three projectiles were identified crossing from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory One projectile was intercepted by the IAF one fell in Sderot and another projectile fell in an open area The Israeli army said on Friday that it detected two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel with one being shot down by the Iron Dome air defense system The incident triggered the activation of rocket-incoming sirens in Sderot and other settlements around the Gaza Strip no injuries or material damage have been reported in connection with the incident said in a brief statement that it had fired rockets and hit Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip Despite a decrease in rocket firings from Gaza as a result of the Israeli army's ground offensive in Gaza on Oct the Israeli army occasionally announces the detection of rockets fired from Gaza Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct Over 37,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6 Israeli soldiers block a road near Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza Jerusalem: Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to escalate the offensive in Gaza including the occupation of the Gaza Strip and continued control over captured areas The ministers “unanimously” approved the operational plan the official said on condition of anonymity The vote came hours after military chief Eyal Zamir announced that “tens of thousands” of call-up orders for reservists would be issued this week to intensify the offensive The cabinet also approved a framework for the possible future entry of humanitarian aid to the devastated enclave which Israel has completely blockaded since March 2 following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement It was not immediately clear when aid deliveries might resume saying it aims to prevent Hamas from seizing control of supplies and to pressure the group into accepting a deal on Israel’s terms the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East warned Sunday that the blockade has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza of catastrophic levels describing the situation as “beyond imagination.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the new plan marks a shift in strategy “moving from tactical raids to the occupation and continued control of territory,” according to a statement by his office Netanyahu also said he continues to promote a plan to facilitate the “voluntary departure” of Gazans and that talks are underway with several countries to receive refugees “occupying Gaza and holding the territories moving the Gaza population southward for their protection denying Hamas the ability to distribute humanitarian aid and launching powerful strikes on Hamas — measures that will contribute to its defeat,” the senior official said Israel ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas in March and resumed its air and ground operations more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli offensive began in October 2023 Please enter your username or email address to reset your password