Israel’s southern residents: ‘We are sick and tired of Gaza rockets!’

“Enough is enough, we are sick and tired of this,” said Liana Peretz, one of the protest organizers who lives near the Gaza border.

By TPS and World Israel News

Residents from southern Israeli communities surrounding the Gaza Strip are changing their tactics, expressing their frustration with months of government failure to prevent terrorist missiles, fire kites and bomb balloons from the Hamas-controlled territory.

On Monday, protesters blocked the road to the Kerem Shalom border crossing , protesting what they view as the government’s lack of response in the face of escalating rocket fire from Gaza over the weekend.

Over Friday night and Saturday morning, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) shot over 34 rockets into southern Israel between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.

The demonstrators stopped a convoy of trucks from entering Gaza despite a decision made by the Defense Ministry to allow the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing to bring goods from Israel to the Strip. The protesters held signs reading: “We too deserve quiet,” “The people demand to breathe air!” and “The South is burning!”

Sick and Tired

“Enough is enough, we are sick and tired of this,” said Liana Peretz, one of the protest organizers who lives in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom told a participating Zionist activist group Im Tirtzu.

“It is inconceivable that my kids need to wake up in the middle of the night and run to bomb shelters or need to be afraid of balloons and kites. The time has come for the government to wake up and do something,” she said.

“We cannot tolerate a situation in which residents in our country are subject to unrelenting acts of terrorism,” said Alon Schvartzer, Director of Policy for Im Tirtzu.

 ‘Decisive victory’

“Decision makers must allow the IDF to achieve a decisive victory and restore quiet to the south. This is not only a struggle of the residents of the south, but a struggle of all the residents of Israel,” Schvartzer stated.

On Sunday night, residents from the South also blocked the high-traffic Azrieli Junction in Tel Aviv to protest the government’s reaction to the continued kite and balloon terrorism, as well as the sporadic rocket attacks, which have been ongoing since March 30.

Sunday’s protest took place as the Security Cabinet convened at the nearby Defense Ministry to decide on a course of action following the weekend violence.

Where are the Palestinian parents?

On Sunday night, An IDF drone strike killed three Palestinians on the Gaza border  who were allegedly planting an explosive on the fence.

In response, Adele Raemer – a resident of Kibbutz Nirim near the border with Gaza and an activist who runs the Facebook page “Life on the border with Gaza – things people may not know (but should)” – posted:

“Three Palestinian children were killed tonight when the IDF shot at figures placing something (an explosive device, according to reports) at the border fence under the shroud of night, raising concerns that there will be more rockets tonight. And I wonder to myself What the F… were they doing there!?? Where are their parents??!!!!”

Palestinian media claimed the three boys, aged between 12 and 14, were placing “bird catching” devices.

HamasIsrael-Gaza borderPalestinian terrorRockets from Gaza