Prosecutors filed charges Sunday against a woman accused of preventing civilians from taking cover in a Bat Yam bomb shelter during an Iranian missile attack.
Police said that the defendant, Liliana Laniado, 70, is the first to be indicted on the criminal offense of blocking entry to a bomb shelter.
Preventing someone from taking cover in a shelter — whether public or located within a residential building — is punishable with a year of prison time or a fine.
The indictment, filed by the prosecution unit of the Tel Aviv District Police, alleged that Laniado prevented neighbors from taking cover in her building’s shelter as sirens blared during an early-morning barrage on June 22.
In footage of the incident that circulated during the war, Laniado was seen obstructing the entrance to the safe room, preventing a young man with a small dog in his arms from taking shelter.
“She stood in the entrance and claimed there was no space. We tried to explain to her that we don’t have a shelter in our building, but she didn’t care. She blocked the entrance with her body and refused to move,” one of the neighbors told Channel 12.
“In the end, she simply shut the door and left us exposed to the missile fire. We feared for our lives,” he continued.
אירוע נוסף של מניעת כניסה למקלט בשעת אזעקה הופץ ברשת היום- לא נעשה כלום למרות התלונה במשטרה: המקרה הנוכחי הוא מהעיר בת ים ברחוב ארלוזורוב 46, אדם עם כלב לא הורשה להכנס למקלט כמובן בניגוד לחוק. האדם הגיש תלונה אבל עד עכשיו לא בוצעו שום פעולות מצד המשטרה, זה בדומה למקרה בפתח תקווה… pic.twitter.com/2imDfWW6Uv
— daniel amram – דניאל עמרם (@danielamram3) June 22, 2025
Many similar incidents were reported across the country during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June. Police announced on June 23 that they had arrested three Bat Yam residents on suspicion of blocking shelter access.
One man detained by cops allegedly assaulted a woman, breaking her nose, because she tried to bring her dog and cat into a public shelter. Another suspect is suspected of blocking a woman and her elderly parents from entering an apartment building’s shelter because they didn’t reside in the complex.
Law enforcement noted to Channel 12 that they were conducting investigations into other residents of central Israel suspected of similar behavior during the war.
“Our goal is to put an end to this ugly phenomenon and to deter others from endangering human life during emergencies,” a police source told the outlet “Shelters are meant to save lives, and are not the property of a select few. There is no justification for preventing the entry of civilians who are in immediate danger.”
