ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

The Defense Ministry's National Emergency Management Authority (RAHEL) has presented leaders of Gaza border municipalities with plans to evacuate border towns if a future war breaks out.

According to the Defense Ministry Press Office, the meeting was held on Thursday in the regional municipality of Sdot Negev.Participants included National Emergency Management Authority head Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yoram Lardo, representatives from the Southern and Home-Front Commands, and representatives from the Interior Ministry and other related government agencies.

The meeting was held as an outcome of lessons learned during the recent conflict in Gaza, and included a number of evacuation protocols. For example, a plan named "Safe Distance Plan" deals with the logistics of evacuations themselves, while the "Population Treatment Plan" provides the municipality heads with tools to take care of their constituents in the days and weeks following the potential evacuation. 

According to Lardo, "from the Defense Ministry's perspective, the municipal leaders are the central figures in terms of strengthening their residents' resolve during emergencies or in times when evacuation might be necessary. "We therefore deemed it necessary to present the plans to the municipal leaders so that they can provide their input before its final approval."