Almost six months passed since the beginning of the war: 814 civilian casualties from terrorist attacks, 39 of them children
The National Insurance reports that to date, almost six months after the beginning of the war and after the massacre of October 7, 814 civilians have been murdered in terrorist acts.
It should be noted that the National Insurance is in charge of civilians only and not the security forces that include military forces, police, emergency response teams, etc.
Out of 814 casualties,
- 5 casualties are babies aged 0-5. 3 of them under the age of 3.
- 5 casualties are children aged 6-10.
- 29 casualties are children aged 11-18.
A total of 39 children under the age of 18 were murdered.
- So far, the National Insurance has paid about NIS 19,327,574 in aid grants to the families of the murdered, such as a funeral grant, a widowhood grant, a mourning grant and a burial grant. It should be noted that these amounts do not include current allowances for the families of hostile actions casualties, but only initial aid grants.
- In addition, to date, the National Insurance has made payments to about 65,032 civilian victims of hostile actions (as mentioned, not security forces) who were treated by the National Insurance, including victims of terrorism, both from the October 7 attack, survivors of Nova festivals and victims of attacks and rocket barrages in the north and south, and the families of hostages and those who returned from Hamas captivity.
The total payments made so far to the victims of the hostile actions by the National Insurance is approximately NIS 1,020,418,857.
As part of the accompaniment of the victims of hostile actions, the National Insurance contacts the families and the victims through the organization's rehabilitation workers, holds meetings, Zoom meetings, etc., to assist in this complex period and to make available the many rights they have in the context of the severe loss they are experiencing.
In addition, the National Insurance works with the survivors of the October 7 festivals in a focused manner so that each injured person receives treatment according to his place of residence, at a branch close to his home. Moreover, during the months of October and November, the National Insurance employees actively initiated conversations with 3,702 festival survivors, of whom 3,693 were recognized as victims of hostile actions, i.e. 99.8%. There are other survivors that the National Insurance is sensitively trying to contact, but they did not respond or did not want assistance, and the follow-up will continue according to their situation and wishes and with the aim of assisting.
In addition, the employees of the National Insurance are in regular contact with the festival producers and come twice a week to the complexes that were opened for survivors on the Star of the Sea and at the Ronit Farm in favor of assistance and exhaustion of rights.
As of January – National Insurance employees arrive every week and as necessary for the fair initiated by the festival producers at the Trask Club in the Tel Aviv Port.
In addition, a number of Zoom meetings were held to which all festival victims were invited to explain the procedure for receiving a benefit, as well as an anxiety procedure that allows mental treatments in cases of trauma funded by the National Insurance.
The National Insurance has also identified the need for guidance to the parents of the festival survivors and will hold an online meeting with them today in favor of explanation, exhaustion of rights, etc.
In order to make the rights as accessible as possible, the National Insurance has established dedicated sites on its official website by target populations: families of hostages, festival survivors, families of casualties, etc.
As part of the rights accessibility, a shortened form was uploaded for submitting a claim, which asks for basic information in order to facilitate as much as possible the procedure that the National Insurance Institute is obligated to comply with under the Benefit Law. In addition, we will send a video explaining the procedure and its rationale to terror victims .
A dedicated email was set up for the questions of the festival survivors and their families: pniutpartysurvivors@nioi.gov.il
The National Insurance also established support groups for bereaved parents in Rehovot, Kfar Saba, Hadera, Haifa, Be'er Sheva and more, support groups for parents of young children and support groups for survivors who experienced trauma under the influence of mind-altering drugs and the adaptation of treatments to this situation. The mental treatment solutions were expanded to 36 therapy sessions for those who need it as well as a basket of complementary treatments for festival survivors, allowing a wide range of complementary treatments up to NIS 6,000 per year, in accordance with the One Soul reform.
Zvika Cohen, Acting Director General of the National Insurance: "The National Insurance Institute continues to work around the clock to provide a response and act in the most creative way to address and reduce bureaucracy. Keep in mind that the National Insurance is subject to the provisions of the law and sometimes there is a conflict between the emotion and the terrible pain and what the organization's employees are committed to. However, it is important that everyone who contacts us knows that we wake up every morning with a sense of mission and public commitment and we will turn every stone to help, embrace, assist and accompany the wounded and bereaved families from now on."