(Photo: UWI) (Photo: UWI)

United with Israel donated two bomb shelters last week to a community near the border with Gaza as rockets were falling throughout southern Israel.

Merhavim Regional Council Mayor Shay Hajaj

Merhavim Regional Council Mayor Shay Hajaj (R) tells UWI Executive Director David Zeit about the issues facing residents in the south. (Photo: UWI)

United with Israel, with the help of UWI supporters around the world, several days ago donated two new bomb shelters in southern Israel, where the population has been suffering intense rocket fire from Gaza.

One shelter was placed at the Merhavim Junction just outside the community of Gilat, located in the western Negev desert between the cities of Be’ersheba and Ofakim. Gilat is an agricultural cooperative settlement – in Hebrew, a moshav.

The other will be used within the moshav. It has been put right outside the Kollel (academy of higher Torah learning).

Two bomb shelters were delivered to southern Israel this week courtesy United with Israel supporters. (Photo: UWI)

CLICK HERE TO HELP BUILD MORE BOMB SHELTERS IN ISRAEL

These two additions make a total of four shelters donated within two weeks and 16 since the beginning of UWI’s bomb shelter campaign just over two years ago. Earlier this month, UWI had delivered shelters to the city of Netivot, where it was desperately needed.

While delivering the new shelters last Thursday, the first day of the Protective Edge ground operation, David Zeit, UWI’s executive director, met with Merhavim Regional Council Mayor Shay Hajaj and other community leaders regarding the needs in the south. Although rockets have been landing in the center of the country and occasionally in the northern districts, those residing in the south, within 40 km. of the border with Gaza, are bearing the brunt of the hostilities.

United with Israel label on shelter. (Photo: UWI)

United with Israel label on shelter. (Photo: UWI)

Zeit and the mayor discussed issues such as the emotional well-being of the southern residents, who have been fired upon relentlessly by Hamas and other terrorist groups since Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in the summer of 2005.

“This is all part of UWI’s ongoing campaign of reaching out and finding worthy causes that may not have been otherwise found, and helping,” Zeit said.

Written by: United with Israel Staff

CLICK HERE TO HELP BUILD MORE BOMB SHELTERS IN ISRAEL