"We don’t have an army behind us. We don’t have a government behind us"

This story is incredibly maddening. From Arutz Sheva:

Following the recent escalation of Kassam rockets in western Negev communities including Sderot, residents and their regional councils are now making plans to evacuate if the situation gets worse.

The Shaar HaNegev Regional Council which is responsible for 16,000 residents and students is now formulating evacuation plans if damage from Kassam rockets becomes unbearable.

“The situation is getting worse and worse. We’re not strong. We don’t have an army behind us. We don’t have a government behind us,” said Mechi Fendel, resident of Sderot.

Over sixty-five rockets have fallen on the besieged communities during a month-long “ceasefire” between Israel and terrorist factions in Gaza. While Prime Minister Ehud Olmert clings to a policy of restraint against the terrorists, residents of the battered towns are growing scared.

This past week, two 14-year-old boys from Sderot were critically injured in a Kassam attack.

Local residents and leaders are growing increasingly concerned the situation may escalate even further over the next several weeks. Regional Council leader Alon Shuster has been in contact with members of the Israel Defense Forces, and is not encouraged by the reports.

“The generals in the area are warning that situation could become much worse due to three considerations,” Shuster explains. “First, the range of the Kassams could expand to reach a larger area; second, the number of missiles fired from Gaza may increase; and third, the quality of the Kassams could improve to carry a larger explosive payload, which would inflict a much greater damage on the population.”

If that happens, Shuster believes a plan must be in place to protect residents. “We shouldn’t be afraid to discuss this. First we discuss and then we act. It is better to talk about this situation now, then deal with it only if and when it comes.”

However, Shuster and many local residents are not convinced the government will come to their aid, even if the Kassam threat continues to grow. [...]

Tags: Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Sderot, Kassams