The current war between Hamas and Israel has been a devastating experience for nearly all Israelis, with the shocking images and stories that continue to come out and the disruption in daily life in most areas of the country. New Israelis who have difficulty with Hebrew and have not lived through a terrorist war in their country, are having an even harder time figuring out what to do and where to go, especially the immigrants who live near both the northern and southern borders.
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Since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war between Hamas and Israel, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Jewish Agency have helped about 2,200 new immigrants relocate to safer areas in the center of the country. These are immigrants who live in absorption centers and housing clusters on both the southern and northern borders.
The "overwhelming majority" are new olim from Ethiopia, Ukraine and Russia, according to the Jewish Agency. "All of them are feeling the psychological impact of running for shelter from rockets aimed at the absorption centers," the Jewish Agency said on its website.
The Olim that were rescued under fire
The evacuated immigrants were taken with the help of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Jewish Agency to special facilities designated for such relocation immediately at the outbreak of the war, including in hotels and guest houses, where they are receiving extra comprehensive support. Among other things, they receive security escorts against the backdrop of the ongoing rocket fire on Israel, mental and social support, hot meals and early childhood and enrichment activities.
Thousands of recent immigrants to Israel live at both ends of the country. Many more there with the assistance of the "Go Beyond South" and "Go Beyond North" joint initiatives of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) and Nefesh B’Nefesh. The program provides extra financial incentives and additional assistance to new olim who are willing to more away from the center of the country, which is generally more attractive to new olim.
Among the immigrants who were evacuated from the conflict zones, there are also about 630 immigrants, many from Ethiopia, who live in the Ibin Immigrant Absorption Center near Sderot in the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council, who were rescued under fire from the enclave after the murderous massacre by Hamas by teams of the Jewish Agency in coordination with the national authorities and were taken in in the communities of Nir Etzion, Zichron Ya'akov and Netanya. In addition, 56 residents of a housing cluster managed by the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption in Sderot were evacuated to a safe area, out of the 100 people living in that cluster. The rest were evacuated independently or were evacuated to relatives living in the center of the country. The few who wanted to stay in Sderot are being assisted by the Ministry of Absorption.
WRAP UP OF THE LATEST SECURITY UPDATES
Another 750 immigrants were evacuated from Ashkelon, where they live in two central absorption centers, the Kalanit and Barnea centers operated by the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Jewish Agency. At the same time, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and its employees is also providing assistance in all areas to about 600 immigrants living in housing clusters who wanted to stay in the city of Ashkelon for the time being.
The Jewish Agency noted that it is working on finding alternative flights for olim making aliyah who were scheduled to arrive in Israel and had their flights cancelled due to the war. Some 116 new olim were scheduled to arrive in Israel this week.