A year and a half of uprooting: Victims of Iran's missiles still waiting for a permanent roof

A year and a half after the Iranian missile strikes in Bat Yam, about 1,200 residents are still scattered in hotels and rentals, and the destroyed buildings have yet to be rebuilt. The Bat Yam municipality filed a lawsuit against Iran, but the move is not expected to help soon. The government approved an urban renewal plan, but construction has not yet begun.

A year and a half after the Iranian missile strikes in Bat Yam during the 12-day war in June 2025, about 1,200 residents are still scattered in hotels and rentals, and the destroyed buildings have yet to be rebuilt. The Bat Yam municipality and the Shurat HaDin organization filed a lawsuit for 250 million shekels against the Iranian government, but the move is not expected to help residents soon. In September this year, the government approved a rehabilitation and urban renewal plan for the complex, including about 2,470 apartments, under a new law passed by the Knesset in March. However, construction has not yet begun. Residents like Eli Yitzhakian, who has been living in a hotel for a year and four months, and Moti (a pseudonym), who lives in a rental, express frustration with the bureaucracy and the forced integration into urban renewal. According to Tax Authority data, 41,888 claims were filed following the 12-day war, of which 4,887 are still being processed. In the Roar of the Lion war this year, 24,456 claims were filed, and 4,560 of them have not yet been closed. In other cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Be'er Sheva, rehabilitation processes are ongoing, but some residents are still scattered.