Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) has announced a $220 million budget to restore and develop communities in northern Israel and the western Negev hit hard by the Iron Swords war.
The plan, approved by KKL-JNF’s board of directors, addresses a range of needs identified on the ground—from restoring public infrastructure and private homes to boosting economic activity, encouraging population growth and investing in education, innovation and community resilience.
As part of the initiative, Kibbutz Nir Oz has been designated a primary aid focus with a dedicated budget of $22 million. On Oct. 7, 2023, the community suffered unprecedented devastation, losing about a quarter of its residents to the massacre and kidnappings, and seeing roughly 95% of its public buildings destroyed—the most severe damage sustained by any community in the Gaza Envelope.
The rehabilitation plan for Nir Oz includes rebuilding infrastructure and public facilities, bolstering community life and supporting the absorption of a new youth group of more than 50 members.
The special budget will be allocated across several core areas:
Community rehabilitation and expansion: Returning evacuated residents to their homes while attracting new populations, including professionals in high-demand fields, mission-driven groups and educators.
Economic revitalization: Establishing employment hubs and offering incentives for sustainable economic growth, leveraging the region’s strengths.
Education and community investment: Building and renovating educational and communal facilities, and supporting youth movements, pre-military academies, yeshivot hesder and student villages.
Innovation and trauma recovery: Creating innovation centers in agriculture and environmental technology, and funding treatment facilities for trauma victims.
Assistance will also be extended to municipalities in the north and south that have hosted evacuees from affected areas. In addition, plans to establish community centers, or “KKL-JNF Houses,” in towns in the Gaza Envelope are geared to fostering leadership and excellence among the next generation.
“KKL-JNF stands shoulder to shoulder with the residents of northern Israel and the western Negev,” said KKL-JNF chairwoman Ifat Ovadia-Luski. “This NIS 750 million investment reflects our deep commitment not only to the rapid restoration of what was lost, but to building a strong, secure and thriving future—an essential part of Israel’s national renewal after the war. The people of Israel have endured crises before, and we have always risen from them. We are here to restore hope and stability.”
KKL-JNF stressed that the program’s ultimate aim is not only to restore what was lost, but to create new engines of growth to bolster the long-term prosperity of towns and cities, while preserving the continuity of communities along Israel’s borders. The organization said it will work closely with government ministries, local authorities and residents to ensure that funds are invested to address needs on the ground.
