A significant number of bulletproof busses that travel in high-risk areas in Judea and Samaria are unfit, especially given the recent increase of terror attacks on public transport in the region, Israel Hayom has learned.
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Officials said that the situation is so dire that there will soon be no safe vehicles to transport students to schools.
The budget for bulletproof busses in Judea and Samaria has been irregular for years, despite the importance of the matter, as they are often targeted by terrorists in the area.
Despite the security establishment having received hundreds of millions of shekels in budgets between 2018 and 2022, almost none of it was allocated for Judea and Samaria, except for NIS 4.8 million in 2019. Another 15 million was allocated for emergency repairs after Israel Hayom published an article on the matter and due to pressure from Religious Zionist Party MK Orit Strock.
Data showed that of the 158 bulletproof buses used for public transportation in Judea and Samaria as of October 2022, 109 are only in fair condition. Of the 267 bulletproof buses used to transport schoolchildren, 118 – almost half – are said to be in poor condition. Since October, some buses have been damaged in stone-throwing and even shooting attacks, such as last week's shooting in the Jewish settlement of Ofra.
Terrorists opened fire at a bus traveling outside the settlement, but, thankfully, no injuries were reported as the vehicle was bulletproof.
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