Dear Friends,

We want to take a moment to update you on the unfolding situation in Israel and the recent dramatic escalation in the north, while Israel continues to face a seven-front war – Gaza, Hezbollah/Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen (Huthim) and Judea & Samaria.

Since October 8th, Hezbollah, a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel, has been relentlessly bombarding military positions, communities, and civilians in northern Israel, displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes. Over the past few days, the situation has substantially deteriorated, with Hezbollah expanding its range of rocket attacks to include the greater Haifa area. Non-stop barrages of missiles have targeted civilian populations, forcing hundreds of thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters placing an additional 500,000 Israelis within striking range.  

In recent days, the IDF and Israeli security forces have intensified their operations against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, including in its capital, Beirut. This escalation peaked with a remarkable IDF operation that eliminated several of Hezbollah’s top commanders and fighters in Beirut. The situation is constantly developing, and while there are achievements in the north, we do not forget for a moment our hostages in Gaza and our sacred mission to bring them home. We send our strength and appreciation to the IDF for defending Israel in all our borders.  

Keren Hayesod has been closely monitoring the situation in the north together with our partners at the Jewish Agency, local municipalities, and other authorities, following the emerging urgent needs and we are preparing for a potential escalation that will demand mobilizing all our resources, along with the support of our world leadership and donors, to assist the people of Israel in their time of need. 

To date, thanks to your support, we have provided grants to various regional councils and municipalities on the front lines. We have supported hospitals in the north, including Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, and Poriah Medical Center near Tiberias. We have renovated old, unusable shelters and provided mobile bomb shelters where needed. Recently, the Keren Hayesod professional team met with council and municipal leaders in the north to assess evolving needs, as well as with new immigrants in absorption centers to understand how they are coping with this new reality.

Now we are launching a campaign to supply emergency kits, including electric generators, to bomb shelters.