The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is now in its second week, with no cease-fire in sight, with tens of thousands of Israeli families living in the south of the country suffering from Hamas rocket attacks in the Gaza Strip. Looking for a safe haven to escape to.
An Israeli technology company has created a new online platform to help displaced or displaced Israelis participating in war operations find a safe place to stay.
Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah and Palestinian groups in Lebanon and Syria have also begun firing on Israeli civilians across the border, forcing families in the country’s north to flee their homes.
The Israeli government has provided approximately 50,000 hotel rooms to accommodate citizens forced to leave their homes, but this is not enough to support all of its citizens.
The SafeZone platform connects Israelis who have to leave their homes with potential hosts who will welcome them into their homes or other accommodations free of charge.
The app is the brainchild of a tech company CEO who wishes to remain anonymous, in collaboration with a group of volunteers.
“We cannot overlook the fact that there are a significant number of families who are currently homeless or displaced,” the CEO told NoCamels.
“We saw people asking on social media if they could host someone. So we decided to do it in a more orderly way and built a platform. ,” he says.
Users of the app can search for accommodation based on criteria such as geographic location, number of people staying, whether pets are allowed, and even the type of bomb shelter available for rocket launches.
“People can search using our many filters,” he says. “For example, whether you want to be accommodated in a kosher home, how many beds you need, and whether it is suitable for people with disabilities.”
Sometimes, he says, the family is still in the place, leaving space for guests or opening up the entire house for guests.
The platform already has thousands of beds available for people who have had to leave their homes, which the CEO calls “truly heartwarming.” He said thousands of people are already using the platform to find a safe place to stay.
The platform is staffed by a “war room of sorts” made up of about 20 volunteers. These volunteers will review potential matches between hosts and guests who have already been contacted through the platform, ensure the location is suitable, and ensure placement is finalized.
According to the CEO, Safe Zone has a desktop browser version and a mobile version, and hosting is completely free. For now, the app is only in Hebrew, but the desktop version can be translated into other languages in your browser.
The CEO said that some hotels, hostels and even local governments have taken the initiative to use the platform to facilitate accommodation for people in need.
He also called on those working on similar initiatives to contact the platform through its website so that they can join forces and make all efforts faster and more effective.
“We will continue to do so for as long as we need to,” the CEO told NoCamels. “This is a national effort and we want to support it.”