The Oct. 7 battle for Sderot still rages in the minds of its survivors

Three years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, Sderot residents describe the trauma that still haunts them, while expressing determination to stay and rebuild their lives near the Gaza border. Retired police officer Shalom Aida, whose cousin was killed, says the city seems quiet but not inside their heads. Residents cite resilience and refusal to reward terrorism as reasons for staying.

Three years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, Sderot residents describe the trauma that still haunts them while expressing determination to stay and rebuild their lives near the Gaza border. Retired police officer Shalom Aida, whose cousin was killed at the police station that day, said: "Sderot seems quiet now, but it's not quiet or peaceful inside our heads." He said he never once thought about leaving. Retired educator and tour guide Ilan Abecassis, who has lived in the city all his life, said the population has grown by about 5,000 since the attack. "The more they try to destroy us, the stronger we become," he said. Cousins Arie Yagudaev and Eitan Izayev, who encountered Hamas terrorists on October 7, said they are also committed to staying. "Leaving Sderot and Israel is exactly what the terrorists want. We're not going anywhere," Yagudaev said. An anonymous restaurant owner who spent almost a year as an evacuee in Tel Aviv said: "Not to return would be rewarding Hamas for its terrorism." The article profiles these residents' experiences and their refusal to leave despite ongoing trauma.