A spontaneous outpouring of grassroots support for Israelis under fire has quickly developed in response to the ongoing, unprecedented terror onslaught.
Since the Saturday morning infiltration of the deadly, multi-pronged Hamas terrorist force from the Gaza Strip, private citizens and organizations of all stripes and political affiliations have stepped up to provide aid for residents of Israeli communities near the Gaza border.
The various initiatives, mostly shared through social media, amount to a solidarity safety net, aiming to provide almost any kind of help to those affected by the war.
The early morning assault from Gaza shocked Israel and the world, with Hamas breaching Israel’s borders and sending hundreds of terrorists rampaging through cities and kibbutzim adjacent to Gaza. In addition, the jihadist organization launched thousands of missiles and organized air and sea assaults. At the time of this writing some 600 Israeli deaths have been reported, with more than 2,100 injured.
An estimated 100 hostages have been taken back to Gaza by Hamas, and many more Israeli citizens are unaccounted for. More than 400 Hamas terrorists have been killed in the fighting, the IDF said.
Among the first to announce a general aid effort on Saturday was a coalition of organizations behind the anti-judicial overhaul protests. Help includes organizing homes for citizens fleeing the fighting, transportation services, equipment logistics, assistance from mental health professionals, and more.
“At this difficult hour for our brothers and sisters in the south and the entire Jewish nation, the protest organizations are putting their complete organizational infrastructure and logistical capabilities toward the aid and support of the residents in the line of fire,” the organizations said.
The organizations have also called for a freeze on all protest activities until further notice and said that while the “gigantic failure” of the security establishment in regards to the surprise Hamas attack must be addressed, “at this time all efforts must be directed toward aid of the southern residents, IDF soldiers and security forces.”
In a message shared widely on social media, the umbrella protest movement organization has provided separate Hebrew links for those requiring shelter, for those able to provide housing, for mental health assistance, for offering transport out of the conflict zone and for those who need transportation.
On Sunday, after the IDF announced that it would evacuate citizens of communities immediately bordering Gaza within 24 hours, a second link began making the rounds that has asked volunteers to sign up to open their houses to refugees fleeing the conflict.
Volunteer food tables set up outside Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, on October 7, 2023. (Facebook image capture, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The umbrella group of protest organizers also announced on Sunday a program to distribute hot meals to hospitals, for the wounded and their families, which will be brought to the various emergency rooms.
Another social media message making its way through the protest movement network has provided a link for making direct donations for those in need, via the Israel-based money transfer app Paybox. That initiative was set up by Ami Dror, a high-tech entrepreneur and leader in the democracy movement.
In Tel Aviv, the protest group Brothers and Sisters in Arms organized a food drive, and collection spots for clothing and other items, to which hundreds of residents donated.
Parcels of food, clothing and other items in Tel Aviv, in a donation drive organized by the Brothers and Sisters in Arms organization, on October 8, 2023. (Courtesy)
An offer of aid came from an organization sponsored in part by Jerusalem-based politician Rachel Azaria, a former MK and Jerusalem city council member. On Sunday, the organization promised assistance to families in which one of the parents had been called up for reserve duty, promising “child care, hot meals, necessary arrangements, etc.”
Families of those doing reserve duty are “real heroes, and we are here to make it easier for them,” the notice said. The online form for assistance is for families nationwide, the notice stressed.
Another effort, @Israhelp, presented a curated list of links for all different kinds of services, both for volunteers or for those needing assistance.
Assistance drives were not only limited to practical matters and logistics. One notice asked for volunteer medical practitioners (English). Another, from “Mothers on the Frontline,” announced a group Zoom call moderated by mental health professionals for “mothers, grandmothers and spouses of soldiers heading to the front.”
On Sunday, a website called “Swords of Steel” was set up, where concerned citizens can enter names of missing loved ones, and others can volunteer their resources to help search.
Almost immediately after the war began, Magen David Adom, Israel’s “Red Cross,” announced a general blood drive that has seen an overwhelming response. For more information about donating blood see this link.
Another notice announced that a group of medical clowns were heading to a Dead Sea hotel where some 600 evacuees from Kibbutz Be’eri were being housed, asking for “clothes, diapers, baby food, games and any other donations.” Kibbutz Be’eri, on the Gaza border, was invaded by Hamas terrorists on Saturday and saw a daylong hostage situation develop in the dining hall.
The Saturday attack fell on the holiday of Simhat Torah, which traditionally is celebrated into the evening with dancing with the Torah to live music. These “Hakafot Sheniot” events were largely canceled throughout the country and replaced with special prayer sessions. In addition, a morning prayer session via Zoom was organized Sunday by schools in the national-religious track.
