Full Breakdown
ZAKA Bolsters Logistics and Supplies Following October 7 Attacks
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Expanded Warehouse and Volunteer Capacity
ZAKA’s new logistics hub in the Hartuv industrial zone near Beit Shemesh occupies a 1,000-square-meter facility and serves as the organization’s central warehouse. The center supports roughly 4,000 volunteers who respond to terrorist attacks, mass-casualty events and natural disasters. After the October 7 Hamas assault depleted the original Petah Tikva stock in three days, ZAKA secured additional space in Hartuv in late October 2023 and has since rebuilt its reserves for future emergencies.
02
Inventory of Emergency Supplies
The Hartuv depot stores tens of thousands of items, including gloves, yellow vests, white helmets, protective coveralls, fire-retardant suits, shoe covers, face masks, odor-neutralizing powder, powerful lighting systems, scrapers, utility knives, towelettes, an industrial vacuum cleaner, foldable stretchers, and tents that now accompany every ZAKA vehicle. The warehouse holds approximately 40,000 body bags, with a dedicated section for recording the deceased’s name, ID number and address, and a smaller supply of black bags for terrorist bodies. Before October 7, ZAKA operated only ten tents nationwide; today tents are standard equipment on all response units.
03
Emphasis on Mental Resilience
Weissenstern stresses that supplies alone cannot sustain the organization. He notes that “mental resilience” is the greatest need and announces plans for a respite center near Rosh Ha’ayin, staffed by a full-time mental-health specialist. The center will offer volunteers a space to rest and recharge after handling traumatic recovery work.
04
Official Statements
Weissenstern explains that the post-October 7 “revolution in our supplies” is driven by the State Comptroller’s 2017 warning that Israel was unprepared for large-scale attacks, which projected up to 4,000 missile-related deaths. He asserts that ZAKA must be ready for earthquakes or missile strikes by storing supplies in the north and south as well as the central hub.
05
Verbatim Quote
“On October 7, when we opened our warehouses in Petah Tikva,” — Dubi Weissenstern, CEO