WATCH: What do Israelis do if they don’t have a bomb shelter?

Israel is the only country in the world that legally requires new buildings to include bomb shelters. Legislation such as the Civil Defense Law of 1951 and the more recent mandate from 1992 stipulate that every residential unit in Israel must provide close access to a protected space. 

New residential buildings must be constructed to include safe rooms called a “mamad” which is an acronym for residential protected space (Merhav Mugan Dirati). The reinforced rooms are designed to keep residents safe from missiles and shrapnel, and also chemical and biological attacks. They have a required minimum size and wall thickness, special doors and windows that can withstand blasts, and access to ventilation, electricity, and protected lighting.

Some buildings have shared bomb shelters in basements, while those living in older buildings may have to run to shelters close to their home: communal public shelters, tunnels, subway stations or parking lots. It has been essential to be close to a shelter at all times, especially at night, due to the attacks from Iran.

ALL ISRAEL NEWS correspondent, Oriel Moran, went to the Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv where people without access to a bomb shelter in their own buildings have come to find safety in the parking lot underground. 

“About 2.8 million people do not have proper access to a bomb shelter,” explained Moran, “and so what they have done is they actually go inside different rail stations and parking lots so that they can stay safe.” 

“What I can see around me is just a lot of tents but you can see that some people have… brought their things, they even have inflatable mattresses around here and they've sort of settled here,” she reports. 

Surveying a sea of tents, Moran observes how people have tried to settle and make themselves at home in these trying circumstances. She finds an elderly woman lying down beside her wheelchair, listening to music while her dog sleeps beside her. Others have set up air conditioning units, and even a projector to watch movies.

“This is the reality right now,” she says. “This whole parking lot is just one big tent community… It's quite a bizarre situation.”

The public city shelter became very full last Tuesday following a serious missile attack on Central Tel Aviv. With hundreds taking shelter together in the communal space, there was no privacy or comfort. Ronen Koehler from the organization Brothers and Sisters in Arms saw the need and how they could help.

“Everybody was sitting on the floor, on cardboard. And we said, how can we make this a bit better? It's safe enough, there is water here, there’s toilets. So on Tuesday morning we kind of brought a few hundred tents,” he told ALL ISRAEL NEWS. “We came here about 15 guys, all of us from Brothers and Sisters in Arms and the adjacent organizations… And we started building the place, opening tents, doing this reception area.” 

The organization describes itself as a civic-social movement and was established two years ago to promote democratic values and strengthen Israeli society. They provided a number of amenities to make the communal area more comfortable, including a kids’ corner with books and toys where children could play, and also provided sandwiches for those who came to seek shelter.

“It's done together with the Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv, Tzipi Brand, and also with the owners of this mall,” Koehler explained. 

While lacking many of the facilities and comforts of home, the protected area underneath the mall has become a much more welcoming space.

“These tents have become their new home,” Moran reported. “I have great hope when I see the community come together for the sake of one another, and you can tell that they're really trying to strengthen each other. They've built a little community here. It's really uplifting to see the spirit of Israelis when we go through these difficult times,” she said.

During the war with Iran over the last two weeks 568 ballistic missiles have been fired at Israel, 61 of which hit their targets killing 29 Israelis and injuring 1,150. Almost all of those killed in the attacks had not managed to find shelter or a protected space. Some 15,000 have now been displaced from their homes according to the Israel War Database.