Amidst the ongoing bloodshed in the Israel-Gaza conflict, Hamas militants relentlessly continue to open fire on Israeli civilians on Tuesday. As Israeli troops prepare for a final bloody push into the stricken southern city of Rafah, the closest Israeli community to Gaza’s battered north, Sderot, has been subjected to constant rocket attacks. One rocket has already breached Israel’s defenses, smashing into the ground within a mile of Gaza’s north, which has become a hellscape of destruction. Over six months ago, the same spot on Sderot Hill witnessed intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas terrorists from the north. On Tuesday, the battle still rages, with an Israeli tank ominously searching for targets across the Strip through the haze.
Despite Western warnings against attacking Rafah, where a million Palestinians have sought shelter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains determined to press on with the offensive. The region has endured 200 days of bitter fighting, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 34,000 Palestinians and the wounding of 75,000, according to local officials. Yet, Hamas continues to fight from Gaza’s shattered landscape, launching near-constant airstrikes that fill the air with deep booms and explosions, leaving a trail of white smoke and the acrid smell of destruction. The north of Gaza, the entry point for thousands of Hamas fighters during their deadly incursion into southern Israel on October 7 last year, remains heavily scarred by the conflict. The fighters murdered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250, some of whom are still being held captive in the Strip despite 30 dying in captivity.
It is astonishing that anyone still resides in this part of Gaza, where apartment blocks have been reduced to blackened shards of concrete jutting towards the sky or partially leveled into the dirt. Yet, the people persist, living amidst the ruins and continuing to launch rocket attacks into Israel, setting off alarms and sending terrified Israelis into shelters several times a week.
Oshrat, a 40-year-old mother from Sderot, expressed her weariness and fear while watching over her children in a local park. “I am truly sick of this war,” she said. “My kids are absolutely terrified, but we cannot stay at home all the time. One of my daughters is constantly scared of the rockets and bombs, and she always stays close to the nearest air-raid shelter. The constant noise of fighting in Gaza is terrible.”
Even as Oshrat spoke, a drone could be heard overhead, and a fighter jet screamed across the Gaza sky, explosions reverberating from the battleground. Oshrat, a secretary, added, “This morning, the alarms went off, and there were explosions in the air as missiles were shot. It is still very frightening. Of course, my kids can hear the Israelis fighting Hamas in there. Usually, we get a red alert at least once a week, maybe more, often on a Friday or a holiday. We don’t know when this will end.”
As the Passover week begins, a time for Jewish people to commemorate their freedom from slavery in Egypt, locals do their best to observe the occasion. Around the corner from Oshrat, Moshe Hadad, a 20-year-old aspiring IDF combat soldier, proudly displayed his barbecue skills while sharing his military ambitions.
“I was not a soldier on October 7,” Moshe said. “I feel like I missed something. I wish I had been a soldier then so I could have killed them. I have another two months of training, and then I will be deployed. Who knows where? But I am very proud to serve my country—I feel like it’s my job now. I am not nervous at all. I am looking forward to it, and all of my friends are soldiers too. I have lived in Sderot all my life, so I know what war sounds like—we’ve heard the noises and seen it so many times. The spirit of the Israeli military is very high, and it will not give up.”
Satellite imagery has revealed a new compound of tents being constructed near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, indicating the Israeli military’s plans for a Rafah offensive. Israel has stated its intention to evacuate civilians from Rafah before the anticipated assault, where hundreds of thousands of people have sought refuge. The Israeli military has denied involvement in the tent construction.
The conflict has ignited regional tensions, pitting Israel and the US against Iran and allied militant groups across the Middle East. Israel and Iran have directly exchanged fire this month, raising concerns about a wider regional war. On Tuesday, Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah militants, backed by Iran, engaged in cross-border missile strikes. Hezbollah has relentlessly targeted Israel’s north, forcing over 80,000 residents to flee their homes and seek shelter in hotels and elsewhere. Two Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their car in southern Lebanon on Tuesday. Lebanese state media reported the incident in the Adloun area, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, approximately 25 miles north of the Israeli border.
Israel has regularly targeted Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes far from the border. In the West Bank, Israeli forces fatally shot a 44-year-old Palestinian man, Shadi Jalaita, in the city of Jericho on Tuesday. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the death, stating that Jalaita suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
