At a ceremony at the Home Front Command, the Ministries of Defense, Finance, and the IDF signed this morning (Sunday) on a significant acceleration of the 'Northern Shield' project - the national plan to strengthen protective measures in northern Israel at a cost of 1.2 billion shekels.
As part of the agreement, the Finance and Defense Ministries will allocate 875 million NIS to the "self-implementation" track, which will allow residents living in 28 settlements within 1-5 km of the Lebanese border to build a protected room in their homes, through a grant of up to 132,000 NIS. This is in accordance with the specific temporary order that allows the construction of a secure room without a permit, based on predetermined criteria. The process of receiving the grant will be managed by the "Magen HaTzafon" administration in the Ministry of Defense. The new program will open to residents in April 2025.
At the same time, the directorate of 'Magen HaGalil' in the Engineering and Construction Division of the Ministry of Defense and the Home Front Command have completed preparations for the establishment of approximately 1,700 new fortified rooms in 21 settlements along the 0-1 km line from the border. In recent days, the process of obtaining permits and recruiting contractors has been completed. The work will begin in the near future. The new fortified rooms will join the hundreds of fortified rooms whose construction was completed in recent months alongside the fighting in Lebanon.
The Commander of the Home Front Command, Major General Rafi Milo, stated: "This agreement is a real breakthrough for the fortification efforts in the northern settlements." The allocation of resources while removing bureaucratic barriers will enable the rapid establishment of fortified rooms and additional security and defense components in the communities. The Home Front Command will continue to operate in order to maintain and strengthen the security of Israeli citizens, in cooperation with local authorities and government ministries.
The Deputy Director and Head of the Engineering and Construction Division at the Ministry of Defense, Erez Cohen, responded after the signing of the agreement: "It allows the Northern Shield Administration at the Ministry of Defense, together with the Home Front Command, to implement the government's decision and expand the fortification works within a range of up to 5 km from the border." In the current track, residents will be able to advance the process quickly and independently, implement it in a very short time, and enjoy financial support from the state. Alongside the fortification work that we are already conducting in many settlements along the border.
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