7.10.24

October 7th

SDEROT

October 7th

The city of Sderot is located in the Gaza Envelope region. At its closest point, Sderot is only 700 meters away from the northeastern border of the Gaza Strip.

On October 7, 2023, at 6:27 AM, a massive “barrage of fire” began, as rockets were launched from Gaza toward various parts of Israel, including the city of Sderot. An “Red Alert” siren blared across the city continuously in an unprecedented and relentless manner.

Shortly after, gunfire was heard in the city, and reports from frightened and worried residents began flooding the municipal emergency hotline, detailing incidents of gunfire casualties. The emergency center also received reports of residents who were outside their homes and were unreachable, classified as missing or disconnected.

Simultaneously, Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Israel Police received multiple distress calls reporting shooting victims in the city and its surrounding areas, pleading for help. As early as the morning hours, harrowing videos circulated across social media showing shocking and unimaginable scenes of dozens of armed terrorists roaming the city in white pickup trucks, shooting indiscriminately.

It is now known that 60 terrorists infiltrated the city, arriving in six pickup trucks and two motorcycles. There were multiple active shooting zones throughout the city, with the largest and most intense battle taking place near the police station, where the fighting lasted until the following day.

The city was almost entirely evacuated of its residents, and within two weeks, only 3,000 residents remained out of the original 37,000.

To learn more about the story of the war in Sderot, as well as the heroic tales of the city’s residents, security forces, volunteers, and municipal workers, you are invited to book an engaging and inspiring lecture about
resilience and courage in times of crisis.