"I have six children, and after the incident of the 7th of October, I understood that I must protect myself. Aghast at the Hamas killing spree in their southern towns and villages, and worried by the military's slow response, Israelis are arming themselves in record numbers with the blessing of their government. Israel has been bombarding the Gaza Strip since Hamas's attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, which it says killed some 1,400 people. Before Oct. 7, the Kfar Saba Shooting Range was holding just one training course per day, now they’re holding three to four daily. Gun control advocates say making firearms too freely available raises the risk of accidental shootings, murder and suicide.

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Persons: Ronen, KFAR, Shimrit Ben Arosh, Aghast, Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben, Netanyahu, Israel, Gil Shemesh, Dan Williams, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gush Etzion, KFAR SABA, Israel, Hamas, Kfar Saba, Gaza, Israeli