The residents of Israel’s southern periphery, bordering the Gaza Strip, are among the Israelis who suffered the most from Operation “Protective Edge.” Thousands were forced to leave their homes for weeks, while those who remained were confined to bomb shelters. Properties were damaged, tourism was annihilated, work days were lost, and many small businesses went bankrupt. By the end of the Operation, it was clear that residents of the embattled south — one of Israel’s poorest regions to begin with — were in dire need of the state’s aid.