Jerusalem, Israel, February 17, 2025 — The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for Victims of Terror, which operates with the support of donations from world Jewry, has provided terror victims with aid amounting to 85.5 million ILS ($24.1 million) since the October 7 attacks.

Today, the fund submitted a report to First Lady of Israel Michal Herzog, revealing the extent of the damage resulting from the Hamas atrocities and the number of people who have been officially designated as victims of terrorism from October 7, 2023, until the end of 2024. The fund, established during the Second Intifada, in the past year alone has disbursed 11,797 emergency and rehabilitation grants to terror victims; provided educational support to approximately 2,000 children; and supported around 4,500 participants in therapeutic group intervention programs, including survivors of the Nova music festival in the South.

Five-hundred days after October 7, The Jewish Agency’s fund submitted its report to First Lady Herzog, reviewing the scope of the damage since the beginning of the Swords of Iron War. The report was submitted by the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the Fund for Victims of Terror, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, and the CEO of The Jewish Agency, Yehuda Setton. It presents the investment and efforts the fund has made for the rehabilitation of victims and affected communities, detailing the number and types of injuries, divided into communities and regions.

The fund operates from donations made by Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Keren Hayesod, the Israeli Spirit, and other donors from the Jewish world and Israel.

The event presenting the report to the first lady was attended by women supported by the fund including Leah Yanai, sister of Moran Stella Yanai, who returned from Hamas captivity; Laila Tlalaka, mother of Samer Tlalaka, who was kidnapped by Hamas and later killed accidentally in a battle in Gaza; Merav Ram, the mother of the late Omri, who was murdered at the Nova Festival; and Shamerit Shlifrok from Sderot, who along with her family was evacuated to a hotel at the Dead Sea and whose children participate in group treatment programs.

The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror faced a challenge last year that was unprecedented since its founding. The events of October 7 resulted in widespread physical and psychological damage, prompting the fund to significantly expand its activities to provide direct assistance to terror victims’ families, including bereaved families, families of hostages and returnees, and the wounded.

The following are key findings of the report:

• In 2024, The Jewish Agency’s fund distributed 8,428 emergency grants to families of terror victims nationwide, including families of hostages and returnees, bereaved families, families whose homes were directly hit by rocket fire and deemed uninhabitable, and those injured or hospitalized due to terror attacks.
• 3,369 families received rehabilitation grants, allowing them to receive support for rehabilitation expenses, medical treatments, sports activities, enrichment and leisure activities, and more.
• 1,976 children and adolescents participated in 276 days of camp, designed to provide them with a respite from the challenging reality and strengthen their mental resilience.
• 4,497 victims and their families participated in 142 group intervention programs, helping them cope with trauma and build personal and community resilience.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the scope of terror impact in Israel over the past year, highlighting the broad implications of the Swords of Iron War on Israeli society. The report reviews the broad and diverse response provided by the fund to terror-affected populations in the South, North, and across the country, presenting the coping and resilience stories of victims and their families.

Following October 7, the fund initiated unique professional intervention programs alongside grants for families of hostages and returnees, party survivors, and the Bedouin and Druze communities, including individual support and resilience programs. For its work with families of captives and returnees, The Jewish Agency’s fund was awarded the prestigious Genesis Prize for 2024.

First Lady of Israel, Michal Herzog: “Meeting with the families of the victims of terror, hearing the personal stories of people who have experienced the deepest pain, and yet find the strength to rebuild and carry on is so deeply moving. They are a testament to the resilience of Israeli society. The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror reflects the strength of the mutual responsibility between Israel and the Jewish people all over the world, and the importance of this unity. Together – in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world – we continue to stand together in support and solidarity for the families who have lost those so dear to them. This is our commitment, and this is our joint mission.”

Chairman of The Jewish Agency, Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, said: “The Fund for Victims of Terror is a living testament to the mutual responsibility of the Jewish people that unites us, especially in these difficult days, as we face deep pain and loss. Our hearts are with the victims and families, and we are committed to standing by them, strengthening them, and helping them rebuild their lives. Thanks to the mobilization of our brothers and sisters in Jewish communities worldwide, we will build together an exemplary society that leaves no one behind.”

CEO of The Jewish Agency, Yehuda Setton, said: “The report we presented contains numbers and words, but behind them stand people—men, women, entire families whose world collapsed on October 7th. In the depths of the darkest days of their lives, The Jewish Agency reached out to them on behalf of the Jewish people, not only with words but with actions. We told them: you are not alone. Your pain is our pain. Your recovery is our mission. Because on October 7th, not only were individuals affected, but the entire nation. The entire Jewish people were affected. This report is not a summary, but a call to action: to the general public, to Jewish communities, and to our partners in Israel and around the world to join us in the collective effort to heal and rebuild Israel.”

Chair of The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, said: “We began the journey in our painful days immediately after the October 7 disaster when we accompanied the First Lady, Michal Herzog, on a difficult visit to the residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The report I presented to the First Lady today reflects the extraordinary activities of The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror since the attacks, with the support of Jewish communities worldwide. The fact that the fund’s director, Yael Raz, and I, along with a special team of women, can provide a variety of support channels — on a personal, family, and community level, from emergency grants to impact resilience programs for bereaved families, families of captives, party victims, and physical and psychological injury victims — is a unique privilege. I was honored to share the fund’s report with the First Lady and to promise her that we support the victims in the future as well.”

The entire Fund for Victims of Terror report can be seen here: https://www.fvot-2024-report.org/en

Media Contact:
Noa Amouyal, JCubed Communications
Noa@JCubedPR.com

About The Jewish Agency for Israel:

Since 1929, The Jewish Agency for Israel has been working to secure a vibrant Jewish future. It was instrumental in founding and building the State of Israel and continues to serve as the main link between the Jewish state and Jewish communities everywhere. This global partnership has enabled it to address the Jewish People’s greatest challenges in every generation. Today, the Jewish Agency connects the global Jewish family, bringing Jews to Israel, and Israel to Jews, by providing meaningful Israel engagement and facilitating Aliyah. It also strives to build a better society in Israel – and beyond – energizing young Israelis and their worldwide peers to rediscover a collective sense of Jewish purpose. The Jewish Agency continues to be the Jewish world’s first responder, prepared to address emergencies in Israel, and to rescue Jews from countries where they are at risk.