By Nativia Samuelsen

As Israel has risen to the challenge of directly confronting Iran over recent days, communities across the nation are coming under fire once again from deadly ballistic missiles. Over the past twelve days, Iran has launched nearly 550 missiles and 1,000 drones targeting Israeli cities and sensitive facilities. As Israelis weather this storm, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is comforted in knowing our supporters worldwide are helping to preserve lives every day through the hundreds of bomb shelters we have placed across the nation.

Over the past two decades, the ICEJ has donated 236 portable bomb shelters and renovated 175 existing underground shelters in vulnerable communities all around Israel. These efforts are proving to be a life-saving investment in the midst of this current crisis.

Just last week, we received images from Yossi Turjeman, our contact in Maalot-Tarshiha, a mixed Jewish-Arab town near the Lebanese border that previously faced daily rocket attacks from Hizbullah in Lebanon. In late 2023, the ICEJ started renovating all 57 public bomb shelters in this town, and they are now giving vital refuge during the Iranian missile attacks. The recent photos we received from inside one shelter showed civilian security officers, elderly residents, new immigrants from Ukraine and Russia, religious Jewish families from Nepal, and even a dog finding safety from the ongoing danger.

Felix, a civilian security officer and new immigrant from Russia, spoke with an elderly couple who expressed deep gratitude for the shelter’s improved condition.

“Before the renovations, it would have been impossible to enter and stay here,” they explained. “Now this place is saving us, and our neighbors. And there’s air conditioning and toilets!”

Their response mirrors what we have repeatedly heard across the country: the new and renovated shelters provide not only physical safety but also much-needed peace of mind during attacks.

In Haifa, our Home for Holocaust Survivors has benefitted greatly from the large secured room we built a few years ago right beside the main dining hall. The room has been a welcome refuge for our residents during the repeated missile barrages on Haifa, which is a key target of Iran due to its large port and oil refinery, among other strategic sites. In fact, Haifa has taken more direct missile impacts than any other city in Israel since the recent escalation began on 13 June. Thankfully, our survivors have a safe place to go!

In southern Israel, our many shelters in the western Negev have proven their worth throughout the recent decades of rocket fire from nearby Gaza. And now under the current threat from Iran, these ICEJ-supplied shelters are playing a crucial role as well. On Kibbutz Dorot, near the Gaza border, residents have been forced to sleep in a large communal bomb shelter that ICEJ helped renovate. The updated facility includes sleeping areas, sanitation, and proper ventilation – all essentials when families must spend extended hours, even long nights, in these spaces.

Israel current conflict with Iran has made it unmistakably clear: Israelis civilians are a primary target of the hardline clerical regime in Tehran. Iran is launching long-range ballistic missiles and drones capable of reaching the entirety of Israel, and their most frequent targets are Israel’s densely populated coastal cities. Critical civilian infrastructure has also been targeted, including Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and medical research labs at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot. But most missiles have hit in crowded residential areas of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bnei Brak, Rishon LeZion, Bat Yam and other main cities. These missile strikes have killed 25 people so far – mostly women, children and the elderly – and left over 10,000 homeless. Meanwhile, the public demand for better, more accessible bomb shelters has surged dramatically.

While the Israeli government and Home Front Command work tirelessly to prepare the nation for these challenges, many shelters remain outdated, damaged, or completely unusable. This is why the Christian Embassy has always worked closly with local municipalities and security officers to identify where shelters are most urgently needed.

Thanks to the support of Christian donors around the world, our hundreds of bomb shelters remain a tangible sign of Christian solidarity with Israel, not only for those born here, but also for many who are new to the Land. This includes Ukrainians and Russians fleeing war, Nepalese, Ethiopian and French Jews, Holocaust survivors, young families, elderly couples. All of them now share one thing in common: they have somewhere safe to run when the sirens sound.

In times of war, the value of a well-equipped shelter cannot be overstated. It can mean the difference between life and death. As the threats intensify, ICEJ remains committed to ensuring that as many Israelis as possible have a safe place to run to.

Join us in placing more life-saving bomb shelters across Israel. This Christian embrace of their nation improves their preparedness immensely. Families and entire communities will be strengthened, knowing they are not alone. Partner with us through our ‘Israel in Crisis’ fund to provide safety, security, and hope in Israel. 

Donate today at: help.icej.org/crisis