Cabinet okays 5-year NIS 360 million plan for Eilat’s economy, infrastructure

The cabinet on Sunday approved a NIS 360 million ($120 million) five-year development plan to boost the economy and improve the quality of life in the southern city of Eilat and the adjacent Hevel Eilot Regional Council area.

In cooperation with 20 government ministries, the “flagship” plan aims to upgrade the city’s public transportation and airport, improve the health system, develop the economy, strengthen tourism, and invest in tertiary education opportunities, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The statement also said an advanced warning center will be established to improve the city’s preparedness for emergency situations.

“Eilat and Hevel Eilot are the southern pearl of the State of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to the statement.

“During the war we saw mutual responsibility and the exceptional resilience of the area’s residents, who opened their homes and received tens of thousands of evacuated families,” Netanyahu said.

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“Today we are continuing with action — with a broad five-year plan that will invest in health, transport, education, tourism, employment, and infrastructure. It will improve the quality of life for the residents and will establish Eilat as the strong, flourishing, southern gate of Israel,” he added.

Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri said that the government decision puts Eilat at a “satisfactory” place on the national agenda, and “testifies to the recognition of Eilat’s importance to the future of the State of Israel, and the understanding that a strong Eilat is first and foremost a national interest.”

The resort city hosted tens of thousands of families who were evacuated from Gaza border communities following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre, as well as residents of northern communities who left under Hezbollah fire.

The city itself faced repeated missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which caused several injuries and property damage.

As part of the government’s decision, the Health Ministry said that it approved a plan to upgrade Yoseftal Medical Center and other healthcare services in Eilat and the adjacent Eilot region for a total of $27.4 million (NIS 82.5 million).

The plan includes developing training for healthcare and psychology professionals, creating a support package to attract students to these fields, and then retain them in the region.

It also includes NIS 30 million ($10 million) for the treatment of children with autism in the region by funding the flights and lodging costs of skilled therapists to be allocated over the next four years.

The ministry said it also approved NIS 42.5 million ($14 million) to maintain an active civilian helicopter in Eilat, the country’s southernmost city, to improve the availability of medical evacuation options for patients who require it.

“The decision we approved today is a direct continuation of the steps we are taking to strengthen the healthcare system in the south,” said Health Minister Haim Katz.