Mass bomb shelters and 80,000 meals: The IDF’s plan for civilians in northern Israel

IDF preparing contingency plans for northern residents living in buildings without adequate bomb shelters.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli army’s Home Front Command, which is responsible for aiding civilians during wartime and other emergency periods, has been working on a program to provide solutions for the residents of Israel’s north in the event of a major war with Hezbollah.

Since October 8th, the Lebanon-based terror group has launched missiles and rockets into civilian communities and military bases along the northern border. Israel evacuated some 100,000 residents from the areas within 5 kilometers of the border with Lebanon, but hundreds of thousands remain within range of Hezbollah’s rockets.

Ynet has reported that the IDF has launched Operation Steady Anchor to ensure that residents of the northern region are protected if there is a large-scale war with Hezbollah.

Because many older buildings in the north lack adequate shelters or reinforced spaces, the army has established contingency plans to construct temporary bomb shelters in large underground parking lots.

Those spaces will also be stocked with food and water, as well as cots and beds for sleeping should the rocket fire continue for days on ends.

“We have now obtained about 80,000 meal packages as part of the program,” a military official told Ynet.

The official noted that temporarily rehousing citizens in accommodations elsewhere in the country isn’t feasible, due to the fact that tens of thousands of evacuees from the south remain in hotels and haven’t yet returned home.

“Transferring [residents of the north] to hotels is not relevant, because there are perhaps 10,000 available rooms left in Israel, which would barely be enough for a quarter of Safed’s population,” the official added.

“We have strengthened [bomb shelter] solutions in cities near the border such as Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona, but we won’t now scatter thousands of mobile shelters on the old streets of the [Haifa suburbs] Krayot or Akko – it’s expensive and unhelpful.”

The concrete plans to help northern residents in wartime indicates that Israel is preparing for a serious escalation with Hezbollah.

Recently, the IDF engaged in a weeklong logistics drill which saw forces practice delivering supplies to ground troops while under fire.