The IDF’s Homefront Command and Ministry of Defense have begun conducting an engineering survey in various communities along Israel’s northern borders to determine and strengthen their security needs.Expected to last for about two months, the surveyors together with the heads of regional councils and community representatives will assess the needs of residents in terms of personal bomb shelters or protected space in their home.The project is in accordance with the Cabinet’s decision to fortify the north against threats posed by Israel’s enemies.The border area with Lebanon has been flagged by the IDF as vulnerable to enemy infiltrations and has seen several infiltrations over the years. The IDF believes that during the next war with Hezbollah will see the terror group try to bring the fight to the home front by infiltrating Israeli communities to inflict significant civilian and military casualties.In December of last year the IDF launched Operation Northern Shield to discover and destroy all cross-border tunnels dug by Hezbollah into northern Israel. While the military announced the end of the operation after finding and destroying six tunnels, it noted that it “is simultaneously monitoring several locations where Hezbollah is digging underground structures which have yet to cross into Israel.”Last January, the IDF and the Ministry of Defense began the Northern Shield project which would see the deployment of new technological infrastructure along the border with Lebanon which is able to detect and identify any sounds of new digging by the terror group.According to the military, the deployment of the infrastructure is another component of the IDF’s extensive defensive effort to prevent any infiltrations by Hezbollah operatives into Israeli territory.While the current part of the Northern Shield project will focus on private residential homes in 21 communities along the Lebanese border, the project will also see public shelters being upgraded as well as new shelters placed in educational and welfare institutions in the north and more.The Homefront Command’s Head of Defense Brig.-Gen. Dudu Abada said that the plan is of significant importance and will not only provide protection for citizens living in 21 communities along the border fence, but will help to strengthen the preparedness of civilians living in the north during times of emergencies. “The Home Front Command will continue to act in accordance with government decisions to promote projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of Israeli citizens,” he said.A recent report published by the Israel Builders Association based off of data provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics painted a grim picture of a lack of fortifications in the face of a missile attack by Hezbollah, with some 800,000 civilians in northern Israel lacking a bomb shelter or secure space.In December a survey published by the Knesset’s Research and Information Center found that 35% of residents in Israel’s north don’t have access to bomb shelters near their homes and 36% do not have one at home.Last year former defense minister Avigdor Liberman said that since the last war in the north in 2006, the government has invested some NIS 1.7 billion ($485 million) in protective facilities in southern Israel around the Gaza Strip where some 46,000 residents live, spending an estimated NIS 37,000 ($10,600) per resident.Meanwhile, in the north, which is home to about 244,000 Israelis, over the same period of time the government spent NIS 236 million ($68 million), or approximately NIS 970 ($280) per resident.Giora Zeltz, the head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council was quoted by Yediot in September as warning of a disaster should Nasrallah choose to fire his massive missile arsenal towards populated areas.”More than 50% of the people in these areas don’t have shelters, and when a major event happens there will be hundreds of thousands with no shelter to protect them. We’re talking about a very large area with zero response time. We need to fortify all the public and educational buildings by the end of 2020. With all the stupidity floating around, nothing is happening,” he added.”There’s a real dissonance between the government’s claims and its actions. According to the government, more than 100,000 missiles are expected to land from Rosh Hanikra all the way to Mount Hermon,” he continued. “Think about the day when those missiles fall on populated areas.”
IDF begins survey to increase civilian protection in northern Israel
