Living without bomb shelters: An unthinkable risk for Israelis

The idea of one day living without a bomb shelter or safe room is far from real for Israelis who say they “wouldn't take a risk”.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel stands among the rubble of a multi-level home that is completely decimated after an Iranian missile struck just 24 hours earlier.

Among the enormous pile of destruction that blasted it’s way through three concrete ceilings at the property 20km south of Tel Aviv, amazingly its two residents who bunkered down underneath the building in a safe room were able to eventually walk away.

The home is virtually unrecognisable, slabs of concrete smashed to pieces, rooms throughout the home destroyed and the debris lay in piles in the blazing sun.

Ms Haskell, who visited the site with News Corp Australia on Monday, said the only part of the ruined home that survived the attack was the safe room, and of course its occupants.

Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel inspects damage at Nes Tziona, south of Tel Aviv. Picture: Jordan Polevoy

When asked if there will ever be a time where Israelis can live without bomb shelters or safe rooms, she says no.

“I wouldn’t take a risk, Israel is in a very tough neighbourhood and much as we are striving towards peace constantly, forever, we understand the reality as well, we understand our enemies,” Ms Haskel said.

“When they say they want to annihilate us we believe them, we know how this looks like.

“It looks like the seventh of October where women were murdered, children were massacred, elderly were burnt alive, that’s what it means.

“We have people calling for our annihilation, when Iran is saying death to Israel, death to America, death to the west, trust me, believe them, we know how it looks like.

“The world is facing a serious threat, this is radical Islam”.

The wreckage of homes after an Iranian missile strike at Nes Tziona on Sunday. Picture: Jordan Polevoy

Latest figures from “Operation Rising Lion” – Israel’s military strike against Iran – showed during the latest conflict more than 500 missiles have been launched towards Israel and more than 1000 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).

So far 24 people have been killed, 1361 people injured and there has been damage to more than 36,000 buildings, vehicles and other property across Israel.

More than 15,000 people in Israel have been evacuated from their homes including and about 11,000 people relocated to hotels and the rest to friends and family.

Away from the devastation of the missile attack, just moments earlier on Monday Ms Haskell was doing a live TV interview with Sky News Australia host Chris Kenny when missile alerts went off.

Grabbing the camera and tripod she was talking to while on air in Australia, she along with emergency service workers, residents and council workers, fled to safety to hide in a bunker of a synagogue just hundreds of metres away.

Slabs of concrete where homes once stood. Picture: Jordan Polevoy

When Israeli residents receive the first alert on their smartphones they have about 10 minutes to get to a safe room, bunker or protected area and then once the alarms start outside people have just 60 seconds before the missile hits so every second is precious.

Ms Haskel, a mother-of-three, also explained that she has taught her three daughters – aged four and twins aged two and a half years old – to rehearse what to do when alerts go off.

“They have been practising, as soon as they hear an alarm they go into the safe room,” she said.

“It’s a day-to-day reality for us here so they have been practising.

“They were nine months old when October 7 happened, so since they were babies they have been hearing these alarms”.

Mayor of Nez Tziona Shmuel Boxer and Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel at Nes Tziona, south of Tel Aviv. Picture: Jordan Polevoy

She has even built bunk child-sized beds in her safe room for her three daughters to sleep in, while she rests beside them on a small mattress each night.

“We decided to let them sleep in the safe room, it’s very small, so we’ve built warehouse shelves with camping mattresses and built a piece of wood so they can’t fall over (the edge),” Ms Haskel said.

“They are sleeping in a safe room in our house, so when there’s an alarm my husband comes in and locks the door”.

WOMAN’S AMAZING ESCAPE AFTER APARTMENT HIT BY MISSILE

Hava Berger Vail steps carefully over the rubble inside her mother’s home that has pieces of shattered glass scattered everywhere, the ceiling caved in, windows missing and possessions thrown around and laying upside down.

Her 78-year-old mother Nily Vail’s apartment in the affluent suburb of Ramat Aviv is a scene of destruction and she’s in shock.

Just hours earlier a missile attack from Iran destroyed many apartments and surrounding buildings next to Tel Aviv University hours after America’s attack destroyed three nuclear facilities in Iran.

Hava Berger Vail. Picture: Jordan Polevoy

Inside the rubble inside her mother's home.

As Ms Berger Vail takes News Corp through the six-year-old apartment her hands are visibly shaking – she steps in to view the chaos that remains inside the safe room that saved her mother as she hid with her Filipino carer.

Her mother couldn’t get out of the safe room after the Iranian missile strike hit about 7.30am on Sunday local time because the door was so badly damaged it wouldn’t open.

“I’m OK, we’re OK, we’re strong, we will be OK, we are a strong family,” Ms Berger Vail said.

“My mum, my grandfather have been in the Holocaust, so we are a strong family, it will be OK, we will build again and we will be here, our children and our grandchildren, everything will be fine”.

Volunteer Jonathan Nachmany, 18, from the Israeli volunteer organisation One Heart, was among the dozens of teenagers arriving at the scene of badly damaged buildings – including Ms Vail’s home – that have been destroyed by Iranian missile strikes.

A resident speaks to an emergency responder at the site of an Iranian air strike in the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood Tel Aviv, Israel. Picture: Getty Images

He arrived to help those who needed urgent assistance to safely gather their possessions and vacate their homes.

“I feel important whenever I go to these homes, I’ve been in 20 apartments like this today and every time it’s devastating to go in,” Mr Nachmany said.

“Iran is a terrorist country that only wants to hurt civilians and do damage to Israel, it’s amazing how much difference there is between Israel and Iran”.

Originally published as Living without bomb shelters: An unthinkable risk for Israelis