Israel declares 2026–2027 ‘critical years’ for earthquake preparedness under Defense Ministry order

Israel sits along the Syrian-African Rift, and official planning scenarios warn a severe quake could mean thousands killed.

By Shmuli Volkin, Jewish Breaking News

Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered Israel to treat 2026–2027 as “critical preparedness years” for major earthquakes, signaling a national push to harden the home front beyond wartime threats.

Katz instructed the Home Front Command and the National Emergency Management Authority (RAHEL), in coordination with the National Security Council, to deliver a structured multi-year readiness plan within two months—bringing government agencies and emergency bodies under a clearer, unified framework.

The urgency is real: Israel sits along the Syrian-African Rift, and official planning scenarios warn a severe quake could mean thousands killed, tens of thousands injured, mass homelessness, and major hits to power, water, transport, and communications.

Israel has already begun upgrading its warning layer—officials recently reported the “Taruah” alert system was activated in a real event—and now the focus shifts to the harder work: command-and-control, public readiness, and reinforcing vulnerable buildings before the next big shock arrives.