Ministers approve ‘immediate’ aid to Gaza border communities after round of fighting

Government ministers approve an “immediate assistance and compensation package” for residents of towns close to the Gaza Strip, following last week’s three-day battle with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.

“This government will not disappear from their lives as soon as the firing stops. We have sat with the local authority heads from the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and the package being submitted today is the result of working with them,” a statement says.

According to the statement, the compensation will cover also the three days before the round of violence, when movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli army in anticipation of an attack on the border left many towns effectively on lockdown.

The plan includes prioritization and advancement of payments, covering expenses that local authorities were required to spend during the fighting.

Additionally, the plan aims to assist in strengthening the authorities’ communication systems and emergency electrical systems, and place more mobile bomb shelters, the statement adds.