Relatives of retirees killed on Oct. 7 sue Sderot municipality over locked shelter

Families blame city for malfunctioning ‘smart shelter’ that exposed their loved ones to Hamas assault after they set off on trip to Dead Sea, accuse authorities of hiding evidence

Israeli soldiers walk next to bodies of people murdered by Hamas terrorists lying outside the shelter in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, October 7, 2023. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90)
Israeli soldiers walk next to bodies of people murdered by Hamas terrorists lying outside the shelter in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, October 7, 2023. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90)

Several families of October 7 victims have reportedly filed a lawsuit against the city of Sderot in southern Israel, as well as a company that manufactures “smart shelters,” for what they say is negligence that contributed to their loved ones’ murders by Hamas.

The lawsuit is seeking NIS 12 million (over $3 million) in damages to be awarded to the families, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

The families are relatives of eight of the 13 retirees who were murdered outside a bomb shelter in Sderot on the morning of October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

The retirees were on a group trip to the Dead Sea when the Hamas attack began. They were gunned down by terrorists after not being able to access a street shelter in Sderot.

Gruesome images of the elderly Israelis lying dead outside the shelter were some of the first to be shared on social media on the morning of the massacre.

The shelter, advertised as a “smart shelter,” was supposed to unlock during rocket sirens or other emergency alerts, but remained locked well after the first sirens sounded, leaving the victims unprotected from the rocket fire and the Hamas assault.

Armed terrorists in Sderot, southern Israel, having infiltrated from Gaza, on the morning of October 7, 2023 (X screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

According to the Kan report, the lawsuit, which was submitted to the Tel Aviv District Court, placed blame for the deaths on the city and the company for the malfunctioning bomb shelter.

The suit alleged that had the shelter opened, the victims would have been able to block the door from inside and hide from the terrorists, and their lives may have been saved.

The families also alleged that the municipality had covered up the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths and hid evidence of the shelter’s malfunction in the aftermath of the October 7 onslaught.

The municipal government of Sderot responded to the allegations, saying: “The municipality shares in the grief of the families. The lawsuit has not yet been delivered to the city. Once the details of the suit are known, the municipality will submit its response to the court.”

A car destroyed in an attack by Palestinian terrorists is seen in Sderot, Israel, on October 7, 2023. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

Sderot was one of the hardest hit areas on October 7, as hundreds of Hamas terrorists stormed into the city which lies close to the border with the Gaza Strip.

The city, home to 33,000 people, was overran by terrorists who killed over 50 residents during their rampage.

The Hamas attack in Sderot lasted for over 24 hours as the terrorists barricaded themselves in the local police station after a lengthy battle that killed at least 20 police officers.

The army destroyed the police station as a final stand against the terrorists when it was determined that all Israelis inside had been killed. The carnage of the Hamas attack and subsequent battle left a permanent mark on the city, where the ruins of the police station have been turned into a monument.

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