The following was written back in 2004.  While the residents of Sderot are still a prime target of Hamas, since that time, Hamas has acquired longer range missiles which are now reaching Israeli cities way beyond Sderot.

Sderot is a working-class development town in Israel, bordering the Gaza Strip.

Over 10,000 rockets have been fired at Sderot and other residential western Negev communities from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip since 2001.

There are no military targets in Sderot, the terrorists' sole goal is the targeting of civilians.

The attacks on Sderot have taken a tremendous psychological toll, with experts warning of long-lasting damage inflicted to its 24,00 residents.

"The anxiety level with the kids is unimaginable," said Tami Sagie, the head of psychological services in Sderot. "We have a whole generation that was born into the Qassams, children whose first word is 'boom'."

Sagie spoke of teenagers wetting their beds in the middle of the night when rockets hit. Others regularly sleep with their parents, or find it difficult to concentrate, she said.

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Those killed as a result of rocket attacks from Gaza.

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