U.S. cable network HBO has chosen the Israeli coastal town of Rishon Lezion as the backdrop for its new series on the events leading up to the 2014 Gaza war, known as Operation Protective Edge.
Gil-ad Shaer, 16, from Talmon, Eyal Yifrach, 19, from Elad, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16, from Nof Ayalon, an American citizen, were abducted by Hamas on June 12, 2014. Their bodies were found some two weeks later. The abduction compounded an already volatile security situation, which escalated into Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip.
The series, which will chronicle the events that sparked the war, was created by Israeli television veterans Hagai Levi, Noah Stollman and Israeli-American film director Joseph Cedar.
The production is believed to be the largest of its kind in Israel, in part because it involved the construction of a special set in the sandy outskirts of Rishon Lezion, at a cost of millions of dollars.
The set is designed to replicate the Shuafat neighborhood of Jerusalem, including a light rail network, Arabic street signs and the layout of homes with almost complete accuracy. Some 400 actors, extras and specialists are to take part in the production.
It is unclear when the series is set to air. According to available details, the show's protagonist is an idealistic Shin Bet security service investigator. The plot depicts the escalating violence following the teens' abduction and brutal murder from his point of view.
In 2016, the company said the series will be filmed in Hebrew and star Israeli actors but will be adapted to English prior to its broadcast in the U.S.
This is not Levi's first production with the acclaimed network, as he also co-produced the award-winning series "In Treatment" and "The Affair."
