JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- For over two decades, Israelis living on the border with the Gaza Strip have grown accustomed to life under cycles of violence. When tensions escalate, there is always fear of rocket attacks.

In recent days, another major escalation has ensued after a period of relative calm. Residents quickly change their daily routines. Schools were shut down, many work places scale back their activities and streets become deserted as residents are told to stay indoors for most of the day.

Everyone waits for a ceasefire with the sad understanding that it is only a matter of time until violence erupts again.

Shoval Machluf has lived in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon since she was born. As a 22-year-old student, she has grown used to life under fire even though she longs for a different reality.

"It is impossible to live like this," she told Xinhua. "I live my whole here in Ashkelon and my whole life is like this. It doesn't stop. 22 years of wars and injured and dead. There are small children here that are traumatized and it's horrible. We can't keep living like this. It's unacceptable."

In the latest round of violence that began earlier this week, over 1,600 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, and the Israeli army said it struck over 600 Gaza targets. Five Israeli civilians and one soldier have been killed. The Hamas-run health ministry said death toll in Gaza has climbed to 83.

In 2014, a five-week long war were fought between Hamas and Israel, wreaking havoc on both sides of the fence. The end of the war saw a long period of quietness afterwards. But gradually, rocket fire resumed and several rounds of escalation reminded both Palestinians and Israelis that the conflict is still very much present in their lives.

For children on both sides of the border, the price is high. Many Palestinian and Israeli children suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with the fear of attacks.

"Thousands of children suffer from anxiety. They live in an unhealthy and incorrect reality," Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam said. "Every child is a child. No matter if he is Palestinian, Christian, Jewish. What is happening here should alarm not only the state of Israel but the whole world."

"It is really terrifying to remain hostage to your fear of a missile falling on your home and becoming a dead body," said Abraham Moshe, a resident of Ashkelon. He lamented that his city become a ghost town during this period, as some residents have left the city, waiting to return after calm is restored.

Clouds of smoke are seen on both sides of the border as the aftermath of missile and airstrikes tear both sides of the border.

"We want to live a normal and peaceful life yet unfortunately they don't give us the opportunity," said Yossi Landau, the operations officer for Zaka, an Israeli search and rescue organization. "We have to stay strong."

Throughout the days of the conflict, injured are rushed to Israeli hospitals in the region. The staff is well-trained for such situations. In times of lengthened tensions, medical centers shift their activities to underground wards that are sheltered and enable the staff to tend to the wounded while under fire.

When Palestinian militants began firing rockets into southern Israel in 2001, many of the weapons were manufactured locally through improvisation. Over time, the militants have improved their skills and also managed to get military-grade weapons.

"Over the years, we've seen they have more explosive power," said Jonathan Rieck, head of the Emergency Department at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, noting that the injuries have gotten more severe over the years.

"We knew difficult times before. But this time, this round of attacks is very difficult, very intensive," Amos Shavit, spokesman of the Medical Center, said. "We are praying for peace." Enditem

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