Israeli Emergency Aid Effort to Ukraine in Motion

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israel is sending 100 tons of humanitarian aid in the next two days to assist civilians caught up in the fighting in Ukraine.

Bennett said that the aid includes medical equipment and medicine, tents, sleeping bags and blankets.

He said that Foreign Ministry personnel are working around the clock on the Ukraine crisis, and that later on Sunday there will be a comprehensive cabinet discussion of the implications for Israel: The diplomatic and economic aspects, the absorption of immigrants, etc.”

Meanwhile, a team of 15 volunteer medical personnel left on Motzei Shabbos, United Hatzalah and Sheba Medical Center said.

The team landed in Romania and drove seven hours to Moldova to meet the refugees, at the request of the chief rabbi and in collaboration with the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

In the coming days, an additional 30 doctors and paramedics are expected to join, United Hatzalah said.

Also on the mission was Sarit Lerner, the director of technology for Sheba Beyond—Sheba’s virtual hospital, who will be using innovative technologies to treat patients both in person and virtually.

The Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization said on Sunday that it is going to place about 1,000 new portable structures (large and permanent caravans) in rural areas of Israel to help in the absorption of new immigrants (olim) from Ukraine.

The plan includes residential buildings of various sizes ranging from 55 square meters to 90 square meters. Subsequently, the large caravans will be used as complexes for absorption of new immigrants (olim) or refugees in emergency situations such as wars, earthquakes and other emergency situations. During the year, in peaceful times, the buildings will be rented and thus some of the program costs will be recovered, WZO said in a statement.

The caravans are to be set up on the northern border, in the Negev, Arava, Springs Valley near Beit Shean and the Jordan Valley.