Your Daily Update: Sderot Grows in the Shadow of Gaza

The population of Sderot, a city less than a mile from the Gaza border, has increased by nearly 20% since Oct. 7, 2023, according to city statistics.

Sderot had 35,477 residents in 2023. Today, the city has approximately 42,000 residents, including new immigrants from English-speaking countries.

One of them is Hila Malka, who moved to Sderot with her family because they wanted to strengthen the city. Malka works for the Reut Foundation, which provides assistance to local families and operates programs for at-risk children.

The city was heavily affected by the Oct. 7 attack. Seventy-two Israelis were killed in Sderot, and terrorists fought Israeli forces for hours at the city’s police station. The site is now a memorial.

Sderot residents have also lived with rocket attacks from Gaza for more than two decades. Residents have less than 20 seconds to reach a shelter when an alert sounds, and many public buildings have been reinforced.

The Oct. 7 attack increased demand for mental-health services, particularly for children. The city’s Resilience Center provides counseling and other assistance, as well as educational programs and a summer camp for at-risk children.

Despite the security challenges, residents point to relatively affordable housing, tax benefits, transportation connections and a close-knit community as reasons people continue to move to Sderot.

“We didn’t give up and we’re still here,” Sderot resident Nir Kalfa told visitors during a recent tour of the city.