Housing Minister Visits Gaza-Affected Communities, Promises Comprehensive Rehabilitation

Minister of Construction and Housing Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf visited the communities surrounding Gaza last week. He was accompanied by the ministry’s director-general and the director-general of the Israel Lands Authority, along with professionals from the ministry and the Israel Lands Authority. The purpose of the visit was to formulate a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the communities that were damaged during the recent hostilities. The plan will be carried out under the leadership of the Ministry of Construction and Housing.

At the entrance to Kibbutz Be’eri, the minister held conversations with the soldiers stationed there, praising their dedication. During his visit to the printing house, which had only just resumed operations, the minister met with Ben Sochman, the local director, who recounted the harrowing stories of the attack on the kibbutz, which suffered severe damage.

As he toured the destroyed homes, the minister remarked, “A tragedy has unfolded here. The human mind cannot comprehend the events that have taken place here. Your stories of heroism will go down in history. I came here today with the director-general of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and the director-general of the Israel Lands Authority to see how we can restore this kibbutz to its former glory and even expand it. Today, Be’eri is a symbol of destruction, but we will do everything to make it a symbol of Israel’s resilience.”

The minister updated the kibbutz leaders that he had instructed the professional teams to prepare a unique plan for each kibbutz according to their specific needs. “In the Ministry of Construction and Housing, we recruit 100% to assist you, even after the war ends,” he emphasized.

At Kibbutz Alumim, the minister received a briefing from the regional council’s security officer and the secretary-general about the sequence of events during the attack on the place. “I saw your determination when you established the community of Hanun when you entered the role. Your people were always with us. We need more people like you to help us, and we must return the people here,” Rabbi Goldknopf said to Tamir Idan, head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council.

“In addition to rebuilding the communities, we will expand and widen them. This will be the first blow to the rehabilitation of this land,” Rabbi Goldknopf said during the meeting.

At the request of the head of the council, who asked for assistance in establishing the new neighborhood in the area, which has already been approved by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, the minister announced that he would personally approach the interior minister and the director-general of the Ministry of Planning to expedite its establishment.