Assistance to Southern Communities After October 7th and Following Operation “Am K’Lavi”

Following the events of October 7th, the Ministry of Construction and Housing continued to invest significant resources in rehabilitating affected communities and providing support to residents who needed housing and infrastructure solutions. The Ministry led focused professional staff work, assisted local authorities in developing rehabilitation plans, and implemented emergency measures for residents requiring immediate assistance. Throughout the year, the Ministry’s teams were in direct contact with the communities, identified gaps, and accompanied the rehabilitation process with the aim of optimally returning residents to routine.
Concurrently, the Ministry led significant field work as part of Operation “Am K’Lavi,” which included a professional tour by the Ministry’s Director-General in Be’er Sheva. During this operation, meetings were held with the Mayor and his team, deficiencies in public housing buildings damaged during the war days were presented, and focused rehabilitation plans were formulated. The Ministry translated the findings from the field into work processes, starting with rehabilitation work and extending to the expansion of social and community services around public housing complexes.

Extensive Government Investments in Be’er Sheva

Following a government decision approved this year, the Ministry of Construction and Housing led a strategic investment program aimed at strengthening the city of Be’er Sheva. The Ministry coordinated extensive planning and economic work, mobilized government resources, and built a multi-year plan for the establishment of new public institutions, the strengthening of existing neighborhoods, and the development of modern urban infrastructure. The urban vision was updated according to needs that arose from the field, and the Ministry worked to incorporate innovative planning and construction elements adapted to a developing metropolis.
One of the significant achievements of this initiative is the stabilization of infrastructure for comprehensive urban renewal in the city. The updating of the master plan, the publication of policy documents, and the expansion of personnel for the Government Authority for Urban Renewal in Be’er Sheva are all steps led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing with the aim of enabling urban renewal processes to proceed at an accelerated pace, while providing a high-quality and in-depth response to the older neighborhoods and their residents.

Roof Agreements as a Catalyst for the Growth of Southern Cities

During 2025, the Ministry of Construction and Housing led a significant strategic move to strengthen southern cities, culminating in the signing of a new roof agreement with the Dimona Municipality. The agreement, signed in the presence of the Prime Minister and led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, includes an addition of approximately 17,000 new housing units alongside the development of infrastructure, public institutions, and employment and commercial areas. Billions of shekels will be invested within the framework of the agreement, including approximately NIS 3.5 billion for the development of new neighborhoods, approximately NIS 760 million for infrastructure, approximately NIS 700 million for public institutions, and approximately NIS 330 million for the upgrade of the old city. The agreement was formulated and advanced following professional staff work by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and continues Dimona’s development momentum as a leading regional city in the Negev. Concurrently, the Ministry is in advanced stages of signing another roof agreement in the city of Sderot, as part of the expansion of government investment in southern cities.

Promoting the Establishment of New Communities in the South

The year 2025 was a breakthrough year in promoting new communities in the Negev. The “Rosh Ha’ishonim” (First Settlers) district plan in the city of Menora (formerly Kasif) reached a significant stage this year, with the special committee approving its deposit. The Ministry of Construction and Housing has led the comprehensive planning of the city for years, conducting professional field work and creating modern planning intended to provide a response to a growing Haredi population. The continued promotion of the city is a central pillar in strengthening settlement in the eastern Negev.
Concurrently, the Ministry led in-depth processes to promote the settlement region along Highway 25, between Be’er Sheva and Dimona. The approval of the memorandum by the Southern District Planning Committee is the result of comprehensive planning work that the Ministry led in cooperation with the Settlement Division, and it continues to advance to the National Planning Council. In the approaches to Arad, at the Tze’elim junction, in the Yatir area, and in Ramat HaNegev, the Ministry also promoted the planning of new community settlements, based on a strategic concept aimed at attracting new populations and strengthening the southern region.

The Ministry’s Activity in the Rural Sector

In the rural sector, the Ministry worked to strengthen communities and enable balanced demographic growth. The government’s decision to support communities located 0-7 km from the Gaza border was largely shaped by planning and policy promoted by the Ministry, which provides increased subsidies for land development, aiming to reduce construction costs and make it easier for young families to choose to live in the area. The Ministry worked in coordination with the Resilience and National Reconstruction Administration to promote a call for proposals for community growth and accompanied local authorities in planning new neighborhoods.
Throughout the year, the Ministry was involved in promoting dozens of rural communities from the northern Negev to the Eilat region. The Ministry’s planning teams formulated plans for neighborhood development, infrastructure upgrades, and improvement of public buildings, and prepared the infrastructure for significant growth expected in 2026. The Ministry’s work in the rural sector ensures the strengthening of regional council communities, the creation of new communities, and the expansion of agricultural and community settlement.

Expanding Housing Supply: “Apartment at a Discount” Lotteries

The “Apartment at a Discount” program continued to be one of the Ministry of Construction and Housing’s main tools for providing housing solutions to the public this year. In January, the Ministry opened a large-scale lottery that included thousands of housing units in the South, and later in the year, the ninth lottery was managed, with nearly one hundred thousand households registering. The high numbers registered this year indicate significant demand and high public trust in the Ministry’s housing programs. The Ministry continues to promote additional marketing campaigns throughout the South, increase the actual supply of apartments, and accompany eligible individuals until they receive the keys, as part of the vision to provide higher quality and more accessible housing solutions.
Urban Renewal in the South

The Ministerial Committee for Interior Affairs approved a series of decisions this year, initiated and promoted by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, focusing on expanding urban renewal options in the South. The Ministry’s work contributed to the creation of a planning and economic foundation that allows for the construction of over 30,000 new housing units, with a focus on cities like Kiryat Malakhi and Netivot. These initiatives provide local authorities with significant tools to improve older neighborhoods and adapt them to the needs of the 21st century.

The Ministry continued to accompany local authorities in evacuation-construction processes and to push forward significant plans, including the massive renewal plan in Netivot, which will include 13,000 housing units and comprehensively upgrade the old city. In Kiryat Malakhi, initiatives were also promoted that will enable the construction of new neighborhoods, the development of commercial and employment areas, and the expansion of public buildings – all as part of the Ministry’s leadership in strengthening southern cities.

In conclusion, 2025 was a turning point year for the South, which received comprehensive planning and execution leadership from the Ministry of Construction and Housing. The totality of the moves – from the establishment of new communities to urban renewal, from investments in Be’er Sheva to the development of the rural sector, and from expanding housing supply to rehabilitating communities – created a real foundation for accelerated regional growth. The Ministry will continue to operate with full force in the coming years to ensure that the Negev develops, attracts new populations, and offers its residents a high quality of life, based on advanced planning, employment, infrastructure, and accessible housing.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the “Leket Israel” association, is launching a new pilot to rescue surplus agricultural produce from farmers across the country and transfer it to those in need through an innovative real-time reporting application.

“In a reality where 2.6 million tons of food are thrown away in Israel every year,” said the Ministry, “saving food and reducing food loss are important and central issues.”

The pilot, which will be launched as part of the implementation of the principles of the National Food Security Plan 2050, is based on the development of a GIS-based application that will allow farmers to report in real time on surplus produce that is forming in the field or at the packing house, and will allow the “Leket Israel” association to come and rescue them. Thus, thousands of kilograms of edible produce, which could have been sent to landfill, will be transferred to those in need, and will help increase the accessibility of many and diverse populations to fresh, healthy and nutritious food.

Beyond its significant social contribution, the pilot is also expected to reduce the environmental damage resulting from food landfilling and strengthen the connection between farmers and the community.

Until the move, the farmers’ reporting system to the association was based on telephone contact, which involved long handling times and high operational costs. The new application will enable a transition from a reactive system to a proactive and digital system, thereby making it possible to optimize the response, shorten collection times, and ensure that the produce collected is fresher and has a longer shelf life.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The National Digital Directorate and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology announced today (19.01.2026) 13 new government projects that will receive support as part of the second call for proposals to integrate artificial intelligence into the work of government ministries. This is a large-scale initiative to promote artificial intelligence applications in government ministries and trust units, with the aim of improving services to citizens, streamlining work processes and moving the public sector into the era of artificial intelligence.

As part of the program, with a total investment of approximately NIS 40 million led by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the National Digital System, the selected projects will receive professional guidance from AI experts from the public sector and Academia, dedicated training and regulatory guidance that will ensure responsible implementation of the technology in government ministries.

The selected projects will receive professional guidance from AI experts from the public sector and academia, dedicated training and regulatory guidance that will ensure responsible implementation of the technology in government ministries.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Transportation Safety Board approved the plan of the Ministry of Transportation to promote the yellow line of the metro in the Dan (greater Tel Aviv) area, as well as the construction of the terminals required for its operation. This is part of the national outline plan for mass transportation in Israel.

The yellow line will pass through the area of six local authorities: Ramat Hasharon, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Bnei Brak, and Holon. The line is approximately 16 kilometers long and is expected to serve approximately 140,000 residents living near the route, as well as approximately 56,000 additional workers, who are within walking distance of the line’s route.

The line is designed to create continuous north-south transportation connectivity in East Tel Aviv and the surrounding cities, and to serve as a complementary layer to the metropolitan mass transit system. As part of its operation, the line will connect with nine central public transportation systems, including three metro lines, three light rail lines (the red, green, and purple), two Israel Railways stations, the Blue Line promoted by the Ayalon Highways Company, and regional bus terminals.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Knesset plenum approved in a first reading the bill to amend and extend the validity of the Emergency Regulations (Iron Swords) (Extension of Detention for a Suspect in a Security Offense), 2026. In the vote, 10 Knesset members supported the bill, against 4 opponents, and it will be forwarded for discussion in the Constitution Committee.

It is proposed to extend the validity of emergency regulations that allow for the extension of detention of those detained due to hostilities that occurred between October 7, 2023, and October 13, 2023, or those detained as part of the war operations in Gaza. The proposed extension is until July 31, 2026.

The explanatory notes to the proposal state: “Since the recent extension of the law, new suspects have been arrested and new evidence has been added that required the completion of an investigation into the suspects. Furthermore, the investigation has not yet been completed and no indictments have been filed.”

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Today (Monday), Israel’s Ministry of Transportation gave the green light to advance two of the central and important integrated transportation hubs (IHTCs) in the country: the “Hashalom” IHTC and the “Haganah” IHTC in Tel Aviv, located along the Ayalon Freeway. The interchanges will connect the metro, light rail, Israel Railways, buses, bike paths, and everything in an advanced urban space to improve accessibility, connectivity, and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of passengers every day.

The Hashalom Interchange: The Hashalom Station is one of the seven integrated transportation centers to be built in the Dan Bloc, covering an area of approximately 150 dunams. With a forecast of approximately 80,000 passengers during peak hours, the Hashalom Station is expected to be one of the central and main stations for public transportation in Israel.

The interchange will combine the M1 and M2 metro lines, Israel Railways, bus service, and a pedestrian network and urban connections, and will provide a direct response to the main demand centers in the area, including the Azrieli Center.

The Hagana Interchange: Covers an area of approximately 100,000 square meters and will be one of the main transportation hubs along the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv. The interchange is expected to serve Approximately 25,000 passengers during peak hours, and to combine the light rail, the Purple Line, the M1 metro line, Israel Railways and a bus terminal. This is part of an advanced and continuous urban transportation fabric.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Transportation Safety Board approved the plan of the Ministry of Transportation and the Israel Ports Company for the construction of marine fuel links (underwater connections) at the Port of Ashdod.

Approval of the plan came after what Israel’s Shipping and Ports Authority described as “professional and intensive work by the Ministry of Transportation and the Israel Ports Company.”

The plan constitutes a central pillar in strengthening the functional continuity of the Israeli energy sector, both in routine and in times of emergency. As part of its implementation, old marine fuel lines in the marine links will be replaced with new lines that meet the most advanced engineering and environmental standards, including fuel vapor recovery systems, in order to significantly reduce air pollution and environmental risk.

The plan was promoted in accordance with the government’s decision to examine and plan the establishment of port infrastructure for the import of crude oil, fuel distillates and gas (LPG) in the ashdod port area, and to bring it to the approval of the authorized planning institutions. Minister Regev assigned the task to the Israel Ports Company, which operated on an especially fast schedule to examine, plan and promote a statutory plan for both.

In addition, the plan enables the establishment of a dedicated infrastructure for the import and export of LPG in the Ashdod Port area, in accordance with the government’s decision, thereby supporting the national move to close the refinery complex in Haifa Bay.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Numerous police forces from the Northern District and the Border Police last night (Sunday) raided several targets in the Arab village of Kfar Kanna, which is located in the Galilee, and arrested 10 people on suspicion of involvement in shootings and incidents of violence as part of a conflict between two families.

The arrests, said the Israel Police, came following several violent incidents that occurred in the village.

The Northern District police are engaged in extensive activity in the fight against violent crime. The activity is carried out on all levels, from thwarting smuggling and arms trafficking, through undercover operations to thwart criminal activity before it is carried out, to rapid response to any violent incident through constant presence and activity to maintain public safety. Over 1,000 weapons were seized in the Northern District last year and armed gangs were arrested.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) released the data on the number of job vacancies during the fourth quarter, October-December, of 2025.

Seasonally adjusted data for December 2025:

The CBS reported a continued upward trend in the number of job vacancies – 152,134 in December compared to 150,953 in November.

A slight increase in the job vacancy rate – 4.59 in December compared to 4.58 in November, the highest rate since November 2022.

Labor demand in 2025 compared to 2024 and compared to pre-war demand:

The vacancy rate rose from 4.0 before the Iron Swords War (average 2023 excluding the last quarter) to 4.4 in 2025, similar to the rate estimated in 2024.

A comparison of the rate of job vacancies by industry in 2025 with the rate before the war found that there was an increase in all industries except health and nursing services and transportation and haulage services; the sharpest increase was in the construction and trade industries.

Comparing the vacancy rate in 2024 to 2025, there is a decrease in the demand for workers in the construction industries (from 10.2 to 8.8, respectively), while there was an increase in the trade industries (from 4.4 to 4.9, respectively).

In the high-tech services industry, there was an increase in the vacancy rate in 2025 compared to 2024 (4.8 compared to 4.2 in 2024)

In the overall survey population, the vacancy rate in 2025 remains similar to the estimate in 2024.

The Job Vacancy Survey is the main source of information on the number of job vacancies in Israel, and has been conducted regularly by the Central Bureau of Statistics since 2009. The survey population includes businesses with five or more employee positions.