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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Gaza rockets leave Tel Aviv residents unfazed | Gaza rockets leave Tel Aviv residents unfazed |
| (8 days later) | |
| Sirens wailed in Tel Aviv on Friday as the second explosion in 24 hours was heard in the city, but residents said they would not be cowed by the threat of a strike from Gaza. | Sirens wailed in Tel Aviv on Friday as the second explosion in 24 hours was heard in the city, but residents said they would not be cowed by the threat of a strike from Gaza. |
| A jogger running past the police lines marking off the seaside area where the first rocket in 20 years is thought to have landed praised his government's offensive against the Palestinians. | A jogger running past the police lines marking off the seaside area where the first rocket in 20 years is thought to have landed praised his government's offensive against the Palestinians. |
| "What I think needs to be done is, we need take out the elite of the terrorists," said Alon Sivan, briefly slowing his pace to answer questions. "Sure, it's scary, but not enough to make me change the course of my day. I don't think we should change the course of our lives." | "What I think needs to be done is, we need take out the elite of the terrorists," said Alon Sivan, briefly slowing his pace to answer questions. "Sure, it's scary, but not enough to make me change the course of my day. I don't think we should change the course of our lives." |
| Sivan said he expected to be called up as a reservist to serve in the Gaza offensive. Many of his friends have already been called to their units. "I can honestly say I feel very, very bad for the people [in Gaza]," he added. | Sivan said he expected to be called up as a reservist to serve in the Gaza offensive. Many of his friends have already been called to their units. "I can honestly say I feel very, very bad for the people [in Gaza]," he added. |
| His defiance was echoed on the streets of Tel Aviv, although not everyone shared his sympathy for the Palestinian victims. "I hope this time they will finish them once and for all. I don't care if it takes two years," said Eliran Bonfile, walking his dog back from picking up some groceries at a nearby shop. He said he had been on the patio of a cafe when the rocket hit in the afternoon but had not bothered to go to a shelter. | His defiance was echoed on the streets of Tel Aviv, although not everyone shared his sympathy for the Palestinian victims. "I hope this time they will finish them once and for all. I don't care if it takes two years," said Eliran Bonfile, walking his dog back from picking up some groceries at a nearby shop. He said he had been on the patio of a cafe when the rocket hit in the afternoon but had not bothered to go to a shelter. |
| "I'm pretty used to the situation in my country. People think Tel Aviv is like another country outside of Israel and we are going to freak out. But they forget we went through suicide bombings on buses for years," said Bonfile. | "I'm pretty used to the situation in my country. People think Tel Aviv is like another country outside of Israel and we are going to freak out. But they forget we went through suicide bombings on buses for years," said Bonfile. |
| Thousands of rockets have been fired into southern Israel since 2007, but this is the first time Islamist militants in Gaza have fired rockets with sufficient range to reach Tel Aviv and its outlying dormitory cities. | Thousands of rockets have been fired into southern Israel since 2007, but this is the first time Islamist militants in Gaza have fired rockets with sufficient range to reach Tel Aviv and its outlying dormitory cities. |
| Alarms have sounded twice in the city since Israel assassinated Hamas's military chief on Wednesday – once on Thursday at 6.30pm and once at about 1pm on Friday. But Eytan Schwartz, an adviser to the mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Hulda, said it was business as usual in the city, which has a metropolitan area with more than 3 million residents. | Alarms have sounded twice in the city since Israel assassinated Hamas's military chief on Wednesday – once on Thursday at 6.30pm and once at about 1pm on Friday. But Eytan Schwartz, an adviser to the mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Hulda, said it was business as usual in the city, which has a metropolitan area with more than 3 million residents. |
| "We've opened the public [bomb] shelters," said Schwartz. "But other than that there have been no special measures." | "We've opened the public [bomb] shelters," said Schwartz. "But other than that there have been no special measures." |
| Most homes in Tel Aviv have built-in bomb shelters under a decades-old law, but some older buildings lack such shelters and safe rooms, so their residents must rely on public shelters. Not since the Gulf War has Tel Aviv felt the threat of rockets and Schwartz said that many of these public underground shelters did not exist then. | Most homes in Tel Aviv have built-in bomb shelters under a decades-old law, but some older buildings lack such shelters and safe rooms, so their residents must rely on public shelters. Not since the Gulf War has Tel Aviv felt the threat of rockets and Schwartz said that many of these public underground shelters did not exist then. |
| In recent years, he said, underground parking lots had been modified because of the threat from Iran, not Palestinian militants. | In recent years, he said, underground parking lots had been modified because of the threat from Iran, not Palestinian militants. |
| "Life is back to normal," he said. "People are going out to the clubs … the market is open. We are not going to give in to terrorists." | "Life is back to normal," he said. "People are going out to the clubs … the market is open. We are not going to give in to terrorists." |
| At a restaurant a few blocks from the police lines, the staff were watching the news about the conflict. The restaurant was almost empty though it is usually busy on a Friday night. | At a restaurant a few blocks from the police lines, the staff were watching the news about the conflict. The restaurant was almost empty though it is usually busy on a Friday night. |
| "We are still working but now you see there are no people," said a waitress, pointing at the empty tables. "So I'm going home to be with my children, but I'm not scared." | "We are still working but now you see there are no people," said a waitress, pointing at the empty tables. "So I'm going home to be with my children, but I'm not scared." |
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