''Merkhav Mugan'' () (lit. protected space), also known as a "miklat" (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

: מקלט, "shelter"), is a reinforced security room required in all new buildings by

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

i law. A ''Merkhav Mugan'' is deemed preferable to a

bomb shelter A bomb shelter is a structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb. Types of shelter Different kinds of bomb Shelter (building), shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of host ...

when the warning time is too short for residents to reach a shelter, which may be located some distance away. It also offers protection against high impact

projectiles A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found i ...

and

chemical weapon A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as ...

History

Security rooms are based on a 1951 civil defense law that has undergone several revisions. After Israel was attacked by

Scud missiles A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second World, Second and Third World, Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO report ...

in the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, the

Israeli Home Front Command The Home Front Command (HFC; , ''Pikud HaOref'', also referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym ''Pakar'') is an Israel Defense Forces military district command responsible for civil protection. It was created in February 1992 in response to ...

established new guidelines for

civil defense Civil defense or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from human-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency management: Risk management, prevention, mitigation, prepara ...

. In 1992, technical specifications were drawn up for designated protected spaces in family homes. The Merkhav Mugan can withstand blast and shrapnel from conventional weapons, and offers protection against chemical and

biological weapons Biological agents, also known as biological weapons or bioweapons, are pathogens used as weapons. In addition to these living or replicating pathogens, toxins and biotoxins are also included among the bio-agents. More than 1,200 different kin ...

. It has reinforced concrete walls and ceilings, 20–30 cm thick floors, and airtight steel doors and windows.

Types

* ''Miklat Tzibury'' () – lit. public shelter, a partly underground facility, installed in residential areas. They are commonly used for community needs (clubs, education etc). Maintained by the local governance and Home Front. They are located in streets and near public facilities. AirRaidShelterHolon02

* ''Miklat BeBayit Meshutaf'' () – lit. shelter in a

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

, a facility built into a building which has been declared as a condominium (commonly in a

low-rise building A low-rise is a building that is only a few stories tall or any building that is shorter than a high-rise, though others include the classification of mid-rise. Definition Emporis defines a low-rise as "an enclosed structure below 35 metres 15 ...

) it includes all the facilities that a public shelter has, but is maintained by the building residents. * ''Merkhav Mugan Dirati'' ( or , "Mamad") – installed in residential apartments and private houses. Sderot shelters3

* ''Merkhav Mugan Komati'' ( or , "Mamak") – common floor space in apartment buildings in which there is no ''Merkhav Mugan Dirati'' in every apartment and in other multi-story buildings (mostly offices and industry). * Sderot Shelter

''Merkhav Mugan Mosadi'' ( or ) – installed in every public structure.

Migunit

91972 concrete shelters in gaza envelope PikiWiki Israel

In places where a standard shelter could not be constructed, a common alternative is a cement construct called Migunit (), lit. small shelter. It is intended to protect from bombs but not from earthquakes. The standard migunit has a rectangular body with an extra extended entrance.Israeli Home Front Command policy
for Miguniot, Jan 29th, 2024 (Hebrew)

References

{{Civil defence Civil defense Emergency management in Israel Infrastructure Thatched buildings Building types Buildings and structures by type Urban studies and planning terminology

History

Types

Migunit

See also

References