From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Government approves NIS 1 billion to rehabilitate Gaza border towns
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleCarrie Keller-Lynn is a former political and legal correspondent for The Times of Israel
The government will allocate NIS 1 billion to a new, dedicated agency to rehabilitate Israel’s southern Gaza border communities, according to a joint announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry.
The so-called Tekuma (Revival) Administration will be headed by Brig. Gen. (Res) Moshe Edry, who will report directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Its initial period of activity will be five years, and it will be eligible for additional funding.
The agency will focus on areas ravaged by Hamas’s October 7 terror attack, including Sderot and its environs, and communities within the Eshkol, Hof Ashkelon, Sdot Negev and Sha’ar HaNegev regional councils.
Among its priorities, the Tekuma Administration will work to strengthen community life, physically rebuild destroyed areas, improve trust in the government, jumpstart economic and agricultural activity, and serve as a “unified central response” for battered southern communities.
The agency was approved today by the Ministerial Committee on Social and Economic Affairs.
The Times of Israel Community.