Located less than two kilometer from Gaza Strip, the town of Sderot has become a place where sirens and bomb shelters are part of life. Is living in fear something you can get used to?

Photo: Alyona Synenko / ICRC

Sapir, student
“Now is the exams time, but it is difficult to concentrate. Unconsciously, you always wait for the siren to go off. I like hiking and camping. Now when I go to some of my favorite places, it breaks my heart to see them all black and grey from fires.”

 

Photo: Alyona Synenko / ICRC

Sasson, newspaper kiosk owner
“This place seems quiet and idyllic, but it can turn upside down in a moment. I have been living here for sixty years – I don’t even bother to hide in a shelter anymore, but I built one for my family.”

 

Photo: Alyona Synenko / ICRC

Lena, hair stylist
“When the siren goes off my fifteen year old daughter starts shaking. I sent her on holiday, hoping she could get away from all this. But each time, she received an alert on her phone, she called me scared, to ask if everyone was OK.”

 

Photo: Alyona Synenko / ICRC

Lena, a pet shop owner
“You can feel the tension in the air. The streets are empty, people avoid going out. I constantly check my phone for alerts. Even at night. I worry a lot about the impact all this will have on the environment. Some places will need years to recover.”

 

Photo: Alyona Synenko / ICRC

Shimon, hair salon owner
“You can’t get use to the sirens. It is not easy to raise children in fear. Once I saw a rocket that landed in a parking lot. This gave me an idea to create a rocket shape hairdo.”