The region around the southern city of Ashdod on Thursday saw massive flooding following a torrential downpour overnight.
Dozens of children from Regavim High School in Moshav Emunim, located within the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council, had to be evacuated by emergency services after all accesses to the school were blocked off due to the rain.
The kids were rescued with the help of boats and tractors.
The evacuation from the besieged school at Moshav Emunim
A message sent to the children's parents before the beginning of the evacuation read: "Dear parents, all roadways to the school are completely flooded due to the massive downpour. All the students are inside the school with the teachers in a heated room."
Members of the Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene to help with the evacuation. A short time earlier, firefighters helped rescue a mother and her child from a flooded apartment in the nearby town of Gan Yavne.
On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Israel Police Traffic Department's command center at Beit Dagan.
Together with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Netanyahu assessed the situation due to the heavy rainfall across the country that left many areas flooded.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan at Israel Police Traffic Department's command center
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
"Our chief goal is to save lives," said the prime minister. "In order to save lives and avoid dangerous situations, I implore everybody to listen to emergency services and police guidelines."
"This is just like a rocket attack," he added. "If you follow warnings and guidelines, in most cases if not all, there will be no danger."
Speaking of the possibility of massive flooding in the Negev Desert, Netanyahu implored Israelis "don't visit the area, don't go sightseeing."
He was referring to the popular Israeli hobby of going to the desert to see the floodwaters – a dangerous activity that has resulted in fatalities in the past.
On Wednesday, 38-year-old Moti Ben-Shabat drowned in a massive flood in the northern city of Nahariya while trying to save a baby he believed was inside a flooded vehicle.