On March 3, 2024, almost five months after the brutal attack by Hamas, the educational institutions—from the day care centers to the high schools—have reopened in Sderot, the capital of the Gaza border communities. Hundreds of therapeutic personnel and educational staff are on hand to facilitate the return of the students under the current challenging circumstances. Security forces also have increased their presence in Sderot, strengthening the sense of security. On the first day of school, about half of the students registered in the city—representing about a third of its residents—showed up for classes, some having never left the city and others who returned recently.
This significant move is part of a series of steps, most of them partial and gradual, to promote a systemic return of residents of the Gaza border communities to their homes. The move is mainly led by the Tkuma administration, which is responsible for the rehabilitation of the area, together with the relevant government ministries and local authorities. The main lever for this process is to return the students to educational institutions, on the assumption that families with children will not come back to the city unless an educational solution is found for them. In preparation, a sum of 55 million NIS has been allocated for the immediate treatment of children of the Gaza border communities, and about a third is for emotional treatment. Temporary educational institutions are now being established in other areas as well, with a budget of 141 million NIS, in addition to the significant financial incentives given to families who return to their homes as soon as possible.
The move in question is not a trivial one. Many evacuees from the south have reservations and concerns for their safety. The proximity to the fighting in Gaza and the sounds of war heard in Sderot affect the students, who are already traumatized, instilling them with fear. This is a complex process, replete with emotions at the personal, family, community, and official levels, in addition to the expectations of the evacuees—given their many hardships—to receive significant financial compensation both now and in the more distant future, to ensure their well-being after they return home.
Despite all the difficulty, this is a vital process of great national significance although at this stage it’s only in the south. Its essence is the quick return of the border community to its former glory. It reflects and promotes both social and national resilience, based on containing the damage of the disaster, realizing adequate functional continuity during the crisis, and the needed systemic recovery. All these are necessary for the widespread recovery of the Gaza border communities, which will be strengthened by soaring growth, even more than in the years before October 7. This recovery will be Israel’s total victory over Hamas.
On March 3, 2024, almost five months after the brutal attack by Hamas, the educational institutions—from the day care centers to the high schools—have reopened in Sderot, the capital of the Gaza border communities. Hundreds of therapeutic personnel and educational staff are on hand to facilitate the return of the students under the current challenging circumstances. Security forces also have increased their presence in Sderot, strengthening the sense of security. On the first day of school, about half of the students registered in the city—representing about a third of its residents—showed up for classes, some having never left the city and others who returned recently.
This significant move is part of a series of steps, most of them partial and gradual, to promote a systemic return of residents of the Gaza border communities to their homes. The move is mainly led by the Tkuma administration, which is responsible for the rehabilitation of the area, together with the relevant government ministries and local authorities. The main lever for this process is to return the students to educational institutions, on the assumption that families with children will not come back to the city unless an educational solution is found for them. In preparation, a sum of 55 million NIS has been allocated for the immediate treatment of children of the Gaza border communities, and about a third is for emotional treatment. Temporary educational institutions are now being established in other areas as well, with a budget of 141 million NIS, in addition to the significant financial incentives given to families who return to their homes as soon as possible.
The move in question is not a trivial one. Many evacuees from the south have reservations and concerns for their safety. The proximity to the fighting in Gaza and the sounds of war heard in Sderot affect the students, who are already traumatized, instilling them with fear. This is a complex process, replete with emotions at the personal, family, community, and official levels, in addition to the expectations of the evacuees—given their many hardships—to receive significant financial compensation both now and in the more distant future, to ensure their well-being after they return home.
Despite all the difficulty, this is a vital process of great national significance although at this stage it’s only in the south. Its essence is the quick return of the border community to its former glory. It reflects and promotes both social and national resilience, based on containing the damage of the disaster, realizing adequate functional continuity during the crisis, and the needed systemic recovery. All these are necessary for the widespread recovery of the Gaza border communities, which will be strengthened by soaring growth, even more than in the years before October 7. This recovery will be Israel’s total victory over Hamas.