With war against Iran on the horizon once again, the ALEH rehabilitative facility in the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak has transformed into a fortified bunker: from oxygen stockpiles to a technological command center and a fleet of 80 ambulances on standby.
For the team and residents at ALEH, the threat from Iran is not a distant geopolitical headline; it is a terrifying memory carved in concrete. After an Iranian missile penetrated defenses and struck the ALEH campus during the summer’s 12-day war, causing heavy damage, the network adopted a zero-risk policy.
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Now, as tension rises, the system is shifting into high gear with a full “War Protocol.” The goal is to ensure that even if rockets rain down, patients with complex medical needs remain protected and cared for.
Logistics of Survival: Warehouses Wide Open
Anticipating potential escalation, ALEH’s maintenance teams have opened the emergency warehouses at Beit Yahalom, refreshing the supplies stock. Yet the logistical challenge here is more complex than stocking water and canned goods: vast stocks of specialized medical nutrition (for PEG/gastrostomy feeding), essential medications, and hygiene products like diapers and wipes, ensuring the center can withstand a siege.
At the same time, physical modifications have been made to the structure to allow rapid transport of beds and wheelchairs to protected spaces on every floor. The central shelter has been fully converted to host babies and toddlers the moment a siren sounds. Furthermore, preparing for a scenario of total isolation, oxygen tanks and full pharmaceutical stocks have been moved directly into the shelters, ensuring the medical team can operate with complete independence.
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Learning from the past, the center has established an advanced technological command post. Deep inside the shelter, a large screen now displays a live feed from 64 cameras covering every room and corridor in the building.
This system allows the management team to see everything in real-time, maintaining total control over the safety of residents and staff without exposing anyone to danger during heavy barrages.
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A critical vulnerability in any war is manpower. Doctors, nurses, and caregivers are often torn between their duty to patients and the safety of their own families. To address this, a dedicated transport network has been placed on high alert.
Dozens of volunteers, including CEOs and public figures, are ready to jump into their vehicles to shuttle medical staff from their homes to the center and back. This volunteer transport corps ensures that the continuum of care remains uninterrupted, even if public transport halts and the roads are empty.
Sanity in the bunker: An underground cinema
ALEH management understands that a burned-out caregiver cannot function. Therefore, to maintain morale during long emergency shifts in the shelters, a classroom has been converted into an improvised cinema.
The kitchen is equipped with a popcorn maker, and movies will be screened to create a bubble of culture, sanity, and calm. This mental respite is vital, allowing the staff to recharge before returning to the intense mission of caring for the children.
The worst case scenario: A standby of ambulances
While the center is fortified to stay put, preparations have been made for the nightmare scenario: a direct hit rendering the building uninhabitable. An emergency agreement has been signed with United Hatzalah, placing a fleet of 80 ambulances and emergency vehicles on immediate standby.
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Once the order is given, the deployment will be ready to execute a lightning-fast evacuation.
”We all hope we won’t need to reach these scenarios, but we are prepared and ready for any eventuality. This is our duty to these special children and their families. It is our duty as a moral society and our mission at the ALEH network, even in routine times,” the network management told i24NEWS.