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‘My life’s work, destroyed’ – Therapeutic pool blasted by Hezbollah

Benny Ben-Muvhcar raised millions to bring occupational therapy and other services to the disabled; his “life’s work” was significantly damaged during Hezbollah barrage.

By World Israel News Staff

A recently-opened multi-million dollar rehabilitation center, which provided occupational therapy and other services to people with physical disabilities in northern Israel, was seriously damaged during a Hezbollah missile and UAV barrage on Saturday evening.

“This is my life’s work. Everything is destroyed,” Benny Ben-Muvhcar, the chairman of the Mevuout Hermon Regional Council, told Hebrew-language outlet Ynet.

Ben-Muvchar said he had been in the complex with his son at the time of the UAV barrage, but that they had stepped outside and intended to drive home after the sirens stopped.

“There were warnings in the area, but we thought we had the all-clear. Then there was a massive explosion,” he told Ynet.

He realized that there had been a blast in the center, “shattering the windows” and causing serious damage to the complex.

Footage from the interior of the complex recorded by Ben-Muvchar showed partially collapsed ceilings, scattered debris, and what appeared to be fire damage.

“I called the commanding [IDF] officer [responsible for the area] and started crying,” he said.

Ben-Muvchar, who has headed the local council since 2002, has worked for years to ensure that physically disabled residents of the northern region have access to the resources they need.

In 2019, Ben-Muvchar raised 30 million shekels ($8 million) and oversaw the planning and construction of a multi-disciplinary physical rehabilitation center for people living with disabilities.

The compound featured numerous therapeutic services, including a large swimming pool, which Ben-Muvchar said was completely destroyed.

“This place was the fulfillment of my dream,” he added.

“But now it’s all gone. I worked for years to bring these critical services to the area.”

Notably, Ben-Muvchar said that he believed that most of the damage was “apparently caused by an Iron Dome interceptor that misfired.”

Although he did not provide evidence to back up that claim, a Christian-Arab medical student was recently killed after an Iron Dome interceptor, which had been aiming for a Hezbollah drone, struck his vehicle near the northern city of Akko.

After ten months of nonstop firing on Israel’s north, Hezbollah has likely learned the Iron Dome’s vulnerabilities.

The terror group may now understand how to launch barrages that trigger Iron Dome malfunctions.