IDF Efforts to Help Civilians During COVID-19:

As the entire nation tackles the COVID-19 pandemic, the IDF continues to support the national effort in battling the virus. One of the IDF’s main missions remains to assist the civilian population in whatever capacity it can.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Rambam Hospital in Haifa, the IDF will establish two hospital wards dedicated to treating patients with moderate symptoms of COVID-19. The IDF Medical Corps have treated civilians abroad during emergency aid missions (for more information about IDF Humanitarian Aid click here) however this is the first time in history that the IDF will be formally tasked with providing medical care for Israeli civilians. In coming weeks, dozens of patients will be treated by personnel from the IDF Medical Corps. 

In March 2020, the IDF opened a COVID-19 testing lab. As of October 3, 2020 the laboratory is capable of conducting approximately a thousand tests a day.

In addition to these efforts, the IDF operates an Epidemiological Investigations Task Forces called "Alon”. For more information on this, click here. As of October 3, 2020, There are currently 1,700 researchers in the task force, and another 2,400 researchers are expected to join within the next two to three weeks. By November, the headquarters is expected to reach its peak efficiency. The IDF is establishing a second Epidemiological Investigations Unit named “Ella”, which is due to open at the end of October 2020. 

Throughout the pandemic, the IDF has managed and facilitated the use of vacant hotels across the country to host COVID-19 patients who display mild symptoms of the virus, and to quarantine civilians. As of October 11, 2020, 25 hotels are operational, 23 hotels are hosting people who have tested positive for the virus, and 2 are hosting quarantined civilians. The hotels are hosting approximately 8,460 COVID-19 patients and 526 quarantined civilians.

The IDF Home Front Command has initiated a series of projects to help provide answers and clarity during this difficult time, and to give appropriate assistance to civilians based on their needs. These services include a 24/7 call center operated together with Magen David Adom—Israel’s Emergency Medical Service—and an information portal, operated in conjunction with the National Information Center in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic, which continues to operate.

Under the direction of the Chief of the General Staff Aviv Kohavi, the Commander of the IDF Operations Division, and the Head of the Israel Police Operations Division, it has been agreed that in the coming days IDF combat soldiers will assist in enforcing traffic restrictions, temporarily replacing soldiers from the border guard. An additional 1,000 soldiers are assisting the Israel Police in the task of supervising the observance of instructions in the civilian sector.

The IDF has worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Bedouin community leaders to initiate a variety of efforts to assist the Bedouin community in fighting the virus. The efforts include sending information via text messages, providing informational pamphlets, visiting homes and mosques, giving appropriate guidance to hospitals, and transferring sick patients from authorities to designated recovery hotels.

In an effort to help Israeli Muslims prepare for the month of Ramadan, the IDF delivered food and essential supplies to Muslim families across the country. Arabic-speaking reservists have assisted in various Israeli Arab municipalities across the country. More on the IDF’s efforts to help Israeli Muslims can be read here. 

As a guideline to ensure that civilians and soldiers alike are as safe as possible, the IDF introduced protocols for soldiers assigned to help civilians. These policies can be read here. The IDF remains committed to aiding Israeli civilians in the battle against COVID-19, to whatever degree necessary.