Israeli property tax compensation fund director Amir Dahan spent Sunday morning in the northern region, visiting sites that sustained damage from rocket fire in areas far from the border with Lebanon, where, in many cases, damage was inflicted for the first time since the war began on October 7.
“There is damage at various sites,” Dahan told Ynet on Monday. “The teams are already on the ground. Most of the damages, estimated at a few million shekels overall, were sustained in buildings in Kiryat Bialik, Moreshet, Sde Yaakov and the northernmost Kibbutz Kadita.”
Do you have a rough estimate of the total damage in the north after almost a year of war?
“Our current estimate is that property damage amounts to around one billion shekels so far. We’ve heard numbers in the billions, but that’s an exaggeration. It’s important to understand that all the damages measured in the 40,000 claims submitted to us from the southern and central regions totaled 1.5 billion shekels. This means that the total damages have reached about 2.5 billion shekels from rocket fire to both Israel's north and south.”
How many appraisers are working and have you hired more staff?
“We have 40 appraiser teams working with us regularly, based on tenders we issue. Due to the war, we’ve increased the number of appraisal teams to 120, exempting them from the tender process because of the emergency.”
It’s very difficult to access the border communities under constant rocket fire. How do you assess damages?
“In places under a military order barring entry, like Metula and Manara, we’re currently only making general assessments and not yet repairing damages since rocket fire is ongoing in these communities. Recently, we’ve begun using drones to photograph the damaged buildings and property from the air in cooperation with the Defense Ministry.”
What damage was caused by yesterday’s heavy rocket barrage in Kiryat Bialik?
“Buildings were damaged. We dispatched no fewer than five appraisal teams to Kiryat Bialik in the morning and the damage assessments and repairs will be addressed immediately.”
What are the main damages in the north since the start of the war?
“Hundreds of homes have been damaged and some completely destroyed. Many cars have been damaged, though far fewer compared to the south. On October 7 alone, thousands of vehicles were damaged in the south, while a few hundred vehicles have been hit over nearly a year in the north,” he said.
“Additionally, large agricultural fields, chicken coops, dairies, electrical and water infrastructure and roads – some of which were partially destroyed by tank movement – have been damaged.”
Direct hit on a house in Kiryat Biyalik, on Sunday
What’s the difference in the nature of the damage between the southern and northern borders?
“In the south, many homes were burned, while in the north, the damage was caused by rocket fire into homes. However, the overall damage to the structures is quite similar. Some 350 homes were damaged in Metula and Manara alone.”
When will property owners receive compensation?
“In areas where damage can already be assessed and repairs carried out, payments will be made within a month. For homes we haven’t yet reached, payments will follow approximately a month after the damage assessment. In more complex cases, payments will be made in stages, according to the pace of the rebuilding.”