Thoughts during a rocket attack in central Israel:
When we hear an air raid siren, we have about 90 seconds to get into our protected rooms before rockets hit, because our city is about 50 km (30 miles) from Gaza. That's enough time for me to put my phone on the table outside the front door and start recording. (Once a radio reporter, always a radio reporter...)
We turn on the small TV in our room and wait. As before (and this is what you'll hear), just as the siren is fading, the interceptions begin.
Iron Dome is designed to intercept rockets that are headed for populated areas. The ones that will fall in open areas aren't targeted--and one of those exploded a few kilometers from here. That's the big boom on the recording.
I don't pretend that Israelis are suffering as much as the people of Gaza. We have Iron Dome and our reinforced shelter rooms. Gaza has a network of underground tunnels, but thery're not for protecting the people--they're for Hamas. The terrorist group has a mini-city under there, complete with oxygen enhancers (Hamas tried to smuggle some more in with humanitarian aid), ample stocks of food, fuel and electricity.
There are some in Israel who don't feel for the civilians of Gaza, but it's rare to fine anyone here who believes the war against Hamas should stop because of the civilian casualties. Israelis point out that if Hamas did not fire rockets at Israel and send thousands of crazed terrorists across the border to massacre, rape, burn and behead babies, children, women and men, there would be no civilian casualties in Gaza, because Israel would not have to counterattack. That fact is getting lost in the coverage of this war, understandably--the murders happened soooo long ago (one month).
But as you can see and hear, the rocket attacks continue, and Hamas leaders are calling for more massacres of Israelis and Jews in general.
So this isn't over.
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