Israelis are returning to Sderot, the biggest city attacked by Hamas
Almost everyone fled Sderot after Hamas militants killed 50 residents and visitors on Oct. 7. Now most have returned, but soldiers are guarding schools and residents are traumatized and feel insecure.
SDEROT, Israel — The biggest Israeli city that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 almost completely emptied when the war began. Most of Sderot's 39,000 residents were evacuated to hotels across the country.
Last month, the city officially reopened. About 85% of residents are back, the mayor's office says.
It is an uneasy return.
Sderot is the closest Israeli city to the Gaza border. The war is seen and heard nearby, in north Gaza.
"All it takes is for a student to see a plane in the sky or hear the sounds of explosions across the border in Gaza to have a panic attack," says Naama Henig, principal of the Alon Sciences Elementary School
