Sports Artshelter ~ Sderot ~ Landau

Sderot is a city in the Western Negev, Israel. It has a population of over 33,500 and is situated less than one kilometer from the border with the Gaza Strip. Sderot was originally founded in 1951 as a transit camp for Israeli immigrants, primarily from Kurdistan and Iran. The development town served as part of a chain of settlements designed to block infiltration from Gaza. Permanent housing was completed three years after the transit camp’s establishment in 1954. The town was named Sderot after the numerous avenues and standalone rows of trees planted in the Negev, especially between Beersheba and Gaza, to combat desertification and beautify the arid landscape. Like many other localities in the Negev, Sderot’s name has a green motif that symbolizes the motto “making the desert bloom”, a central part of Zionist ideology. The residents of Sderot have been targeted by Gazan terrorist rockets since the early 2000’s.  On October 7, 2023, Hamas gunmen attacked Sderot, engaging in firefights with Israeli police and civilians in the streets and occupying the town’s police station.[49] About eighteen members of the Israeli police were killed during the fighting. Fighting continued through the night until security forces retook the police station, which was demolished in case more terrorists remained inside. Early estimates stated that at least 20 civilians were killed as they were waiting at bus stops, walking down the street, and driving in their cars.. Of the 36,000 residents of the city, 90% were evacuated during the days after the massacre. Adapted from Wikipedia