Nearly 10 months after the conflict with Hezbollah ended, the Northern Shield program (Magen Hatzafon) has completed only about 30% of the first phase in its plan to build bomb shelters in northern border communities, the Defense Ministry revealed on Thursday.
As of the latest update, 600 safe rooms are under construction out of the 1,900 planned for communities within zero to one kilometer of the Israel-Lebanon border.
The program is part of Israel’s national security strategy. In December 2024, the Defense Ministry, Home Front Command, and Finance Ministry signed an agreement to build 10,000 bomb shelters in communities located 1 to 5 kilometers from the border.
Two stages of Northern Shield program
The project is being carried out in two phases. The first phase will involve the construction of 1,900 bomb shelters in communities located within zero to one kilometer of the border.
The second phase, set to begin in April 2025, introduces a “self-implementation” option, which will enable residents of communities within one to five kilometers of the border to apply for grants of up to NIS 132,000.
“This is a life-saving national program designed to enhance the security of residents in northern Israel,” said Gil Galron, director of the Northern Shields program.
“We are working across several border-adjacent communities to complete the construction of protected rooms, ensuring the best possible protection for the residents in the north.”
During the fighting with Hezbollah, nearly 200,000 residents of northern Israel were evacuated from their homes, The Jerusalem Post previously reported.