KKL-JNF approves £70 million plan for Israel’s south

A massive regeneration plan for the south of Israel, focusing on the Gaza border communities which were brutally attacked by Hamas on 7 October 2023, has been green-lit by KKL-JNF.

The plan, broken into a series of investments, will cost £70.4 million and will look at development, education, culture and community growth across southern Israel, together with a further £27.22 million for the rehabilitation and renewal of Gaza border communities affected by 7 October, including Nir Oz, Be’eri, Kfar Aza and Holit.

The scheme combines long-term development across the Lakhish region, the Western Negev, the Be’er Sheva metropolitan area and the Arava with the continued rebuilding of communities directly affected by 7 October. The investments cover infrastructure, agriculture, public buildings, education, culture, commemoration and initiatives to strengthen communities and encourage population growth.

Alongside the broader regional plan, KKL-JNF has approved a new phase of assistance for Gaza border communities affected by the war, with funding for physical rehabilitation, public infrastructure, agriculture, commemoration and community renewal.

In Kfar Aza, £3.7 million of the assistance will support a commemoration plan developed by the community, including the preservation and relocation of buildings from the young generation neighbourhood, a memorial centre and a monument to soldiers who fell in the battles for the kibbutz. 

The decision follows a dispute with Israel’s Ministry of Heritage, which offered NIS 2 million (£494.35) and sought involvement and veto power over the nature of the commemoration. At the direction of the KKL-JNF chairman, Eyal Ostrinsky, the agreement with Kfar Aza will stipulate that no party has veto power over how the community chooses to commemorate October 7, allowing residents to determine how they tell their story and honour those who were murdered and those who fell.

Eyal Ostrinsky said: “The decisions adopted by the KKL-JNF board reflect our deep commitment to southern Israel, to the communities of Lachish and the Negev, the Arava and, especially, the Gaza border communities rebuilding after 7 October. 

“For the first time, we are looking at the entire south as one major national mission. We understand that creating the conditions for growth requires us to act on every possible front, using all the tools at our disposal”.

He added: “Today, KKL-JNF is telling the residents of southern Israel, we are here by your side, and we will continue to stand with you in the years ahead. Strengthening the south is not only about building infrastructure. It is about building the future.”