Defense Ministry says post-war bomb-proofing finished at 34 daycares in the South
In wake of Operation Protective Edge, Defense Ministry takes steps to protect Israel's youth.
By BEN HARTMANNegev bomb squads tackle both rockets and underworld bombings(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Fortification work has been finished on 34 daycares in communities in southern Israel and along the Gaza border, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.The renovation work was carried out following Operation Protective Edge this summer, during which thousands of rockets and mortars pounded the south, in particular in areas close to the border with Gaza.According to the Defense Minister, the daycares that received the fortifications include the “Savyon” daycare, which four-year-old Daniel Tragerman attended. Tragerman, the youngest Israeli victim of the war, was killed on August 22nd, 2014 when a mortar struck a car outside his family’s house while he and his parents and siblings were rushing for cover inside. The family was gathering their belongings to flee the border kibbutz when the mortar struck.The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that fortifying the day-cares cost over NIS 30 million, and was carried out in communities in the Eshkol Region, Ashkelon, the Hof Ashkelon council, Netivot, Dorot, Sha’ar Hanegev, Kalahim, Sde Yoav, and Kiryat Malachi.They added that in the coming weeks they expect to finish work on around 30 more classrooms and daycares in the south.Besides the daycare work, the ministry said they’ve also posted over 400 temporary shelters and 25 safe rooms in the south since the war.