Since the outbreak of war in October 2023, all 47 unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Naqab–Be’er Sheva district have come under fire. Military bases targeted during the conflict are situated among these communities. While nearby Jewish settlements are protected by the Iron Dome system, the unrecognized villages remain entirely exposed—even when the sirens go off. Since October 7th, 17 Bedouin residents, including six children, have been killed. Two homes were directly hit, but most of the damage has come from missile fragments.

In response, together with Mikael Berkowitsch, a cultural entrepreneur from Jerusalem, I co-founded the Naqab Emergency initiative. In collaboration with various organizations, we’ve been working to identify feasible protective solutions—ranging from conventional shelters (which are prohibitively expensive and complicated to implement) to more affordable options such as buried shipping containers. Yet, due to bureaucratic obstacles and the absence of governmental support, these alternatives remain largely unviable for immediate deployment.

Against this backdrop, through Naqab Architects, I initiated a new round of planning with experienced architects, urban planners, and students from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Our collective effort focuses on equipping residents with accessible, actionable knowledge for building protective shelters themselves. The most viable way forward is a pilot project: a small-scale model guiding families in constructing simple, cost-effective shelters using local materials and existing knowledge. This will allow us to test the method’s practicality and adaptability—offering a potential lifeline to vulnerable communities left without protection.