“People return to be with their country”: queues upon arrival in Israel

The number of losses in Israel is growing every hour – Israeli sources report 700 dead citizens of the country, Western media write about 1000… We found out how ordinary Israelis live these days.

The city of Beersheba is located 60 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. But now counting in kilometers is not particularly relevant; the distance is measured in rocket approaches. Be’er Sheva is 1 minute from the Hamas military base.

“You can’t imagine how that Saturday morning began for my wife,” civil servant Alexander Fishman from Beersheba tells MK. “She went out onto the balcony of our private house and saw volleys of rockets. Her first first thought was: “What is the occasion of the fireworks?” It really did look like fireworks at first. Now attacks are no longer compared to fireworks…

Alexander has been living in the Promised Land since he was six years old. Born in the USSR, in Kazakhstan. He 100 percent considers Israel his homeland. The war has only been going on for three days, but many have already lost dear people. Alexander’s close friend, an Israeli police major, died at the ill-fated rave.

– He also lived and served in Beersheba. On Saturday he was called, as they say in Russia, to reinforcement. Four employees were sent to Reim for the festival. However, no one knew what happened. They thought that the young people had gotten into a fight at the rave or had drunk too much. The reinforcement consisted of only four people. They died immediately.

For citizens whose loved ones have not returned home, special points have been opened throughout Israel. You can bring personal belongings of the missing here for DNA testing. Samples are also taken from close relatives. But in such offices, as MK’s interlocutor said, there are almost no people. Everyone is afraid to hear the worst, they delay this moment as late as possible and continue to wait for their loved ones at home.

As for the mobilization points, there are, according to Alexander, crowds of people. Some locations reported an oversupply of recruits.

– No one here runs away from summons; on the contrary, they themselves rush to the assembly points. Lots of volunteers. I also submitted a petition. I am 40 years old, I am in the public service, and most likely they will keep me at work. But I believe that now those who are trained to handle weapons should fight. I will be glad if I am called. I served in the Israeli army for four years.

In addition to recruiting centers – they are called “defense points” – many people flock to places where humanitarian aid is collected. In Beersheba, this is a “celebration hall” – a room in a private house, which its owner provided for the needs of the army. Things, food, dry rations are brought here; many donate their personal cars for mobilization needs.

“I think this war will last for a long time,” says Alexander. – Our leaders say that Israel is not ready for negotiations, even with the participation of third parties. Now many people accuse us of bombing in response. But we protect our family and friends. The attitude of society is that we will fight until our children are safe.

For Julia Bebecher’s family, the war began at 6:30 am with the sound of a siren. Julia lives in Rishon Lezion, the rocket’s flight time from the Gaza Strip is one and a half minutes. Our conversation is accompanied by the sound of a siren. Julia asks to call back. After 10 minutes, a message comes from her: “That’s it, it’s bombed.”

“This is the second siren today,” she says. – The first one was 15 minutes ago.

Julia lives in a prestigious residential area of ​​the city. There are mostly new houses here. Almost all apartments are equipped with their own bomb shelter – mamad. Mamad is an armored room with everything you need to wait out an emergency. The room is quite spacious – 8-9 square meters. A family of four can stay there for quite a long time. Mamad can protect you from shrapnel, but the shelter will not save you from a direct missile hit.

– There is no mamad in our apartment. When the alarm is announced, we go to the communal shelter,” says the interlocutor.

In simple areas of the city there are public shelters. But, as the locals say, due to some Israeli indifference, warehouses, gardens, clubs are open here – that is, shelters are often used for other purposes. The city authorities are actively looking for owners of such businesses.

“As for kindergartens, schools, even universities, they are not working today,” says Yulia. – Many employees have been transferred to remote work where possible. If you look out the window, the city is empty, there are no cars driving either. Only those offices with bomb shelters are open.

As in Beersheba, humanitarian aid and Israeli army personnel are being collected in Rishon LeZion. Yulia’s 19-year-old son is studying at the university, he is not subject to mobilization, but he donated blood to help the wounded. Julia plans to send her youngest daughter to her grandmother in Germany.

– I looked at the tickets yesterday. Prices for flights to Europe have not increased. On the contrary, I heard that there is a shortage of tickets to Israel. People return to be with their country,” Yulia concludes.

The Home Front Service operates throughout Israel. Service operators inform the population via messengers and coordinate actions in the rear. One of the latest instructions: do not film missile attacks, but instead take shelter in bomb shelters.

Read the material “The possibility of the complete destruction of Hamas by the Israeli army has been assessed”