“We have a minute and a half to go down to the shelters,” says a Jerusalem resident.

“There was just a missile attack on Jerusalem. We are in shelters. » When we were supposed to call him on Monday morning, Benjamin was hiding in the basement of his apartment building. Since Saturday’s Hamas attack, the 43-year-old father has lived to the beat of sirens echoing through Jerusalem. “Two of my children’s missing friends were at a rave on Saturday. Our fighting neighbors had to leave immediately. “L 20 minutesThis father of three agreed to talk about his daily life.

“We try to keep the windows open to hear the alerts. When they ring, we all have our turn. My wife takes the last, and I take care of the oldest. Since I’m upstairs, I’m in charge of knocking on the doors to make sure everyone has gone to safety.” Although the Holy City It is not located in direct proximity to the Gaza Strip, but its residents still see rockets passing overhead. “We are lucky to be in Jerusalem, so we have a minute and a half to go to shelters, unlike towns near the Gaza area that have a few seconds to prepare. »

“Most people don’t even think about leaving.”

Benjamin likens the Hamas attacks that began on Saturday to the Bataclan attacks. “Given the size of the country, we are all affected. It’s as if one in three or four families had someone at the Bataclan.”

When asked if he intended to flee the country, Benjamin laughed. “Leaving the country? Really not! Staying, sure. There’s really no doubt… Obviously everyone does what they want, but I think most people don’t even think about leaving.”

Benjamin’s testimony can be found in the video at the top of this article.