Sderot Mayor Recounts Oct. 7 Attack, Calls for Hamas Destruction

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi shared his experiences during the October 7th Hamas attack in an interview hosted by Shimon Riklin. Davidi recounted the initial confusion, mistaking the infiltration for a military drill, before realizing the gravity of the situation as terrorists entered the city.

Davidi emphasized that Israel must abandon the policy of "containing terror" and called for the complete destruction of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. He argued that Israel cannot return to the pre-October 7th security posture, stating that a small country like Israel cannot defend its borders from their current positions. He also advocated for establishing a new neighborhood for Sderot near the border.

Recounting the day of his 50th birthday, Davidi described the jarring transition from family celebrations to confronting the terror attack unfolding in his city. He detailed leaving his home with the city's security officer, Ronen Gabai, to head to the municipal command center, noting that Gabai was later injured during fighting at the police station.

Davidi stressed the need for decisive action against terror organizations, asserting that no harm should come to any Israeli citizen, regardless of religion. He concluded by stating that lessons must be learned from the events and that the security reality before October 7th is unacceptable.