Despite the lockdown and the security situation: in Kerem Shalom they are preparing to receive more families in the kibbutz

The new families are expected to encounter difficulties in view of the tense security situation in the Gaza Strip, which does not allow the residents of the kibbutz to leave it during the day.

"Even the air conditioner installer won't be able to come"

Yanir Yagna

03/08/2022

Wednesday, August 03, 2022, 5:12 p.m. Updated: 7:02 p.m.

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In the video: On alert in the roads surrounding Gaza Gantz refers to the security situation and the residents are angry (photo: Contact, Yaniv Khalif, Avi Rokah and Doc)

Despite the security situation in the south, Kibbutz Kerem Shalom is preparing to take in three new families in the coming days.

The isolated kibbutz is located near the border of Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and in the last two days its residents have been forced to shut themselves in due to the security alert in the south.

Last Friday, the kibbutz took in its first family, and is preparing to receive a second family tomorrow, and one more in the next two weeks.

In view of the closure, the absorption of the families may encounter difficulties.

For example, there is a problem with installing air conditioners in the houses that will occupy them, since an air conditioner installer cannot enter the kibbutz area.

For two days now the residents of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom have not been able to leave it, this is due to the security alert imposed for fear of a revenge attack following the arrest of a senior Islamic Jihad official in Jenin.

From 05:00 in the morning until 20:00 in the evening the residents cannot go out even to shop.

"Nothing is happening here, we can't leave here," says Roni Kissin, a member of the kibbutz.

"Within the routine as usual, we do activities for the children. But we encounter other problems, such as people not going to work and losing money, and that the preschool children cannot go to educational settings. There are local businesses that lose a lot of money because they cannot enter the kibbutz."

The roadblocks near Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, today (photo: Walla! system, Mittal Koifman)

The Islamic Jihad man who was arrested on Monday evening is Bassem al-Saadi, one of the organization's senior leaders in the territories of the Palestinian Authority, who has already served a total of 15 years in an Israeli prison.

After his arrest, footage from the security cameras in the area, where he was seen being dragged on the floor by soldiers, was circulated on the networks.

At the same time, rumors spread that he was injured and in a serious condition.

The estimates were that the rumors of his injury would lead to acts of revenge, and there was a possibility that the Jihad in the Gaza Strip would fire an anti-tank missile at a vehicle or train in the area, or launch rockets.

As a result, after assessing the situation, it was decided on the night between Monday and Tuesday to increase alertness in the area. A threat will not divert us, we will act resolutely to restore normality to the Gaza Strip.

If it is not possible to return to normalcy, they will not return to Gaza either," Defense Minister Benny Gantz said this morning.

More in Walla!

Second day of vigilance in the southern settlements, the residents are angry: "The easiest thing is to put us under siege"

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