Jerusalem, 7 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Roadside bomb shelters where Israelis were killed or fought for survival during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre will be preserved as national heritage sites, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu announced Wednesday, on the third anniversary of the attack.
The designation means the shelters cannot be demolished, removed, repainted or otherwise physically altered without prior approval from preservation authorities. The Heritage Ministry said the move is intended to prevent efforts to “clear the area” from erasing physical traces of the attack.
Eliyahu used a provision of Israel’s 1978 Antiquities Law that allows the responsible minister to designate later structures as antiquities if they have exceptional national historical value.
“The events of Oct. 7 seared a deep wound into our flesh, but they also revealed extraordinary strength, heroism and mutual responsibility that will be remembered for generations,” Eliyahu said.
“Amid the inferno, the shelters scattered throughout the Gaza border area became arenas of a struggle for survival, bloodshed and unparalleled heroism,” he added.
The ministry stressed that the designation does not transfer ownership of the shelters to the state. Any future physical changes will require coordination with preservation experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Heritage Ministry.