Israel Allocates $16M for Long-Term Care of Nova Massacre Survivors

The Israeli government has approved a dedicated continuation plan for the rehabilitation of Nova music festival survivors who were targeted in the Hamas terror attack of October 7, 2023. The plan is budgeted at 60 million shekels, approximately $16 million. The resolution, covering the years 2026 through 2028, was submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved as a formal government decision.

Around 3,600 Nova survivors have been officially recognized as victims of hostile acts. The high rates of injury and serious disability within this group made it clear that sustained, individualized care would be needed long after the initial emergency period. As a result, a dedicated program was developed after the earlier frameworks came to an end.

The plan was developed by the Prime Minister’s Office following coordination between government ministries, data analysis, and direct consultations with survivors, their families, and professional stakeholders. Its purpose is to adapt government support to the current stage of recovery, rather than to the immediate emergency response that preceded it.

At the heart of the plan is the establishment of a personal support network, giving each survivor a single government point of contact. The Ministry of Welfare will coordinate between the various treatment providers in order to ensure continuity of care, spare survivors from having to navigate several authorities on their own, and guarantee full access to the benefits to which they are entitled.

The plan expands medical and mental health services, including emergency psychological support for survivors and their immediate family members, whose role in the recovery process is recognized under the new framework. It also includes dedicated initiatives to address addictions and substance use, which have been identified as a specific concern among festival survivors.

In the field of employment, the Ministry of Labor, the Employment Service, and the National Insurance Institute will jointly develop tailored rehabilitation and workforce reintegration tracks for survivors whose ability to work was disrupted by the attack and its aftermath.

A government digital platform will continue to be developed in order to coordinate between all relevant bodies, manage entitlements, and provide real-time data to decision-makers. A senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office will oversee the implementation of the plan, monitor compliance with its goals, and ensure that services remain aligned with the survivors’ changing needs. A directors-general committee that is currently tracking the issue will continue to operate alongside the new structure.