Inside Israel’s underground emergency center fighting to save lives
As Iranian missiles target Israeli cities, Magen David Adom’s fortified hub in Central Israel has become the nerve center of the nation’s emergency response ● WATCH
As missile barrages from Iran continue to test Israel’s emergency response network, Magen David Adom (MDA), the country’s national ambulance service, has taken its operations deep underground. From its headquarters near Ben Gurion Airport, teams of paramedics and dispatchers are working around the clock to respond to thousands of emergency calls, many of which result not from direct hits, but from civilians rushing to shelters.
The new MDA headquarters, which opened just two days after the October 7 attacks, was purpose-built to withstand wartime conditions. Costing $130 million, funded largely through donations, the fortified part of the facility sits more than 50 meters underground and includes an emergency dispatch center, vehicle storage, a testing lab, and the nation’s largest blood bank.
“On a regular day, we handle about 5,000 calls in 24 hours,” said Aryeh Myers, a senior paramedic and international relations officer with MDA. “Now, with missile attacks from Iran, many using cluster munitions, we’re seeing huge spikes in multi-casualty incidents, like the one in Beit Shemesh where 9 people were killed. This place becomes very, very busy.”
Large digital maps line the walls of the command room, showing incoming calls in real time. MDA systems integrate with the Israeli Home Front Command alert network, giving the staff a few minutes of warning before missile impacts. Myers explained that MDA also uses smart vehicle sensors: “If multiple cars in a certain area trigger accident alerts at once, that’s a sign there’s likely been a missile strike.”
Once a call comes in, first responders typically reach the scene within ten minutes. If severe injuries are reported, MDA dispatches specially equipped intensive care buses. “These vehicles have full ICU setups—heart monitors, mobile ventilators, and medications — so we can treat patients en route,” said Lee Ross, an EMT for Magen David Adom.
Interestingly, most injuries have not been caused by shrapnel or collapsing structures. According to MDA data from March 18, 1,269 people have been treated since the start of the war—1,063 for physical injuries and 206 for anxiety. Of the physical injuries, 792 people were injured on their way to the shelters rather than from missile impacts or debris, accounting for three-quarters of the total amount.
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At the heart of the underground complex lies Israel’s largest blood donation center. “Magen David Adom supplies about 95% of the blood used in hospitals and by the IDF,” Myers noted. “Blood can’t be manufactured. We need constant donations, even in wartime. That’s why we built this facility underground, shielded from missile strikes.”
MDA requires roughly 1,200 blood units, or 600 liters, every day. Despite the chaos above ground, the team here says its mission remains unchanged: keeping Israel’s emergency lifeline intact, no matter what the conditions may be.