Escalation it is, then.
Most of the residents of the Gaza Wrapper have evacuated their homes. We officially have refugees now. The Hamas realized that the one thing that Iron Dome doesn't protect against is mortars, and they are shooting a hundred a day at least. Life is no longer livable in those villages and Kibbutzes around the border fence. On Israel's side, aerial attacks continue at a high rate, taking out command posts, rocket launching teams, rocket launchers and caches, and any high-ranked Hamas member we can get our sights on.
And of course, the Hamas is still dishing out some long-range rockets. Today there was one in the direction of Jerusalem. One blew up in the central area but I didn't hear it. No siren for me today. Maybe later. :-)
The football season opening has been postponed, and for this weekend they are planning to shift teams to the north, although the North, too, is not peaceful. Yesterday there were several rockets launched by Hamas sympathizers from Lebanon and Syria, that landed around Acre, the Golan Heights and the Galilee.
But the school year is about to open, and many schools have no safe zones. Most old school buildings have an air-raid shelter or two, but it's usually in the yard and not accessible within the allotted time. Those shelters were built for air raids, in the old days, and people used to have about 20 minutes advance notice, which is ample time to get 1000 kids to the yard and into the shelter. But 90 seconds? 60 in Beer-Sheva?
The minister of education spoke bravely about opening the school year "as usual", but today it's clear that this will only be true for parts of Israel.
So, it continues.
And of course, the Hamas is still dishing out some long-range rockets. Today there was one in the direction of Jerusalem. One blew up in the central area but I didn't hear it. No siren for me today. Maybe later. :-)
The football season opening has been postponed, and for this weekend they are planning to shift teams to the north, although the North, too, is not peaceful. Yesterday there were several rockets launched by Hamas sympathizers from Lebanon and Syria, that landed around Acre, the Golan Heights and the Galilee.
But the school year is about to open, and many schools have no safe zones. Most old school buildings have an air-raid shelter or two, but it's usually in the yard and not accessible within the allotted time. Those shelters were built for air raids, in the old days, and people used to have about 20 minutes advance notice, which is ample time to get 1000 kids to the yard and into the shelter. But 90 seconds? 60 in Beer-Sheva?
The minister of education spoke bravely about opening the school year "as usual", but today it's clear that this will only be true for parts of Israel.
So, it continues.