Tuesday, July 30, 2024 – The town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights is still reeling from the shock of Saturday’s Hezbollah rocket attack that killed 12 children and left upwards of 44 people injured.
While there will be immense challenges and a long road ahead, especially for those in Majdal Shams, Yad Sarah staff and volunteers will continue to spread hope and support – delivering humanitarian aid across Israel.
A group of dedicated volunteers from Yad Sarah’s Majdal Shams branch and other northern locations paid their respects to the bereaved, meeting with the families of victims and local leaders along with visiting the site of the attack. Following a temporary closure on Sunday, the branch in Majdal Shams is now operating and is prepared to assist those impacted and the community with their home medical equipment needs. Yad Sarah is sending additional equipment to Ziv Medical Center in Safed, where most of the injured victims are hospitalized, to support their recovery and return home and to the care of their families.
Yad Sarah extends its condolences to the Abu Saleh family whose son Hason was killed in the attack, and whose uncle is a volunteer at the Majdal Shams branch. Additionally our heartfelt sympathies are with the Ayoub family whose daughter was killed. The Ayoub family are close relatives of Samira Abu Rohan,who manages the Ussafiya-Daliyat al-Karmel branch and Mansur Said Ahmad, founder of the Majdal Shams branch.
In response to this immense grief, Yad Sarah, Israel’s leading non-profit medical and social services organization, is on the ground, mobilizing resources at our recently established branch in Majdal Shams and at our in-hospital sites that are tending to the injured. To this end, we stand unwavering in our mission to provide critical support and compassionate assistance to those in dire need and all people in Israel.
“Saturday’s attack has left us heartbroken and shaken to the core. A game of soccer was never meant to end like this. The loss and devastation is immense, but it’s making our resolve even stronger. Yad Sarah volunteers are standing by, ready to provide the essential medical equipment and compassionate services needed by the injured, and to help our community cope with this profound grief.”
-Mansur Said Ahmad, Branch Manager at Yad Sarah in Majdal Shams
About Yad Sarah – Majdal Shams Branch
Since opening in March, the Majdal Shams branch has become the northernmost location among Yad Sarah’s +120 branches across the country offering medical equipment loans, accessible transportation, and dozens of other home and healthcare services for everyone from new mothers to people with disabilities and the elderly.
Branch Manager Mansur Said Ahmad, a Syrian-born member of the Majdal Shams Druze community, helped establish the town’s branch after he first became acquainted with Yad Sarah’s services while recovering from a complicated leg surgery in 2014. During his extensive rehabilitation, Mansur had to travel at least 18 miles to the then-closest Yad Sarah branch, in Kiryat Shmona, to borrow essential medical equipment. This experience sparked his determination to establish a branch closer to home – and his initiative has indeed proved timely.
During recent escalations with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Majdal Shams branch has become an essential resource for the local population, which has suffered from months of incoming rocket and drone attacks. While Mansur says the tragedy that befell Majdal Shams on Saturday was something they had never thought imaginable, the town has long been riddled with rocket sirens and projectile impacts.
“The current situation is not easy,” he says. “But the way I see it, we have the responsibility to extend a hand to help everyone deal with the way life is now. The people who come to us are from all walks of life and need specific equipment. Anyone who asks for aid, Yad Sarah embraces and supports them—whether they live in Majdal Shams or come from nearby villages or kibbutzim.”
Yad Sarah Majdal Shams Branch Details:
Days: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
Hours: 9:00-11:00 am & 16:00-18:00
Volunteers: 8
Equipment loans handled to date: 300+
For immediate assistance, please call *6444.
