Israel's government ordered the evacuation of the settlements located up to five kilometers from the border with Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon.
The decision was made in a telephone vote, and it was reported that the plan would be carried out in accordance with the directive of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Tourism Ministry, in cooperation with the Interior Ministry, will manage the system for receiving evacuees in guest rooms.
The proposal of Tourism Minister Haim Katz was accepted to lower the rate paid to hotels and to make subsistence payments to evacuees who will be staying with family members, friends, etc. At this stage, the Treasury allocates 150 NIS per day for an adult and 100 NIS for a child.
The Tourism Ministry, with the assistance of the Israel Hotels Association, will manage a control room that will work in cooperation with the Interior Ministry. The control room will manage the system for the absorption of evacuees into tourist accommodation facilities, including hotels, youth hostels, and more.
The Tourism Ministry has called on the owners of guest rooms and hotels to make their vacancies available for the benefit of the evacuees.
A new compensation agreement
Katz created a new outline for indemnifying hotels for the accommodation of evacuees on behalf of the state, which is expected to save the state tens of millions of NIS, both due to a lower accommodation rate and due to the elimination of brokerage fees by agents which was customary until now.
"I asked to be authorized to manage the evacuation system because the reactions on the ground showed that there is much to improve," Katz stated. "We have the ability to manage the reception system in a way that is optimal for the public and more profitable for the state. I strengthen and embrace the families who are on the front lines, the Tourism Ministry is here for you."
Eli Cohen, president of the Israel Hotel Association stated, "Israeli hoteliers were called to the flag and the mobilization for the benefit of the citizens of Israel was total. I am confident that the headquarters, which continues to work on a voluntary basis and has so far responded to donors, local authorities, and regional advisors, will continue to work in an even more professional and broad manner under the management of the Tourism Ministry. We will continue to strengthen and contribute to the civil resilience of the State of Israel, because only together will we win."