Israelis in Sderot near Gaza flee Hamas rockets

Residents of the southern Israeli city of Sderot boarded buses for other parts of the country on Sunday to escape the rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Hamas militants who infiltrated Israel on a rampage that killed more than 1,300 people more than a week ago have also bombarded the country with thousands of rockets. Sderot, a city of about 34,000 people located about a mile from the Gaza border, has been a frequent target.

One of the residents, Yossi Edri, told Channel 13 before boarding a bus that "children are traumatised, they can't sleep at night”.

Thousands already left the city last week under a state-sponsored programme that puts them up in hotels elsewhere as a respite from the violence. The programme in Sderot was expanded Sunday.

“There is no reason to return to Sderot,” Mayor Alon Davidi told Army Radio. “It's on the front line.” (AP)