Official: Israel Unprepared for Wartime

The Israeli government’s watchdog agency says the country is short on bomb shelters and is ill-prepared to protect its citizens in case of war.

The state comptroller’s annual report, published in part on Tuesday, says Israel has not learned the lessons from the 2006 Lebanon war, when dozens of Israeli civilians were killed by Hezbollah rockets.

The report blames official bodies, including the military and the Interior Ministry, for “serious lapses” in wartime readiness. It says some government bodies are shirking their responsibilities and not investing needed funds in preparedness plans.

The report says there are not enough bomb shelters in schools and public places, leaving hundreds of thousands of Israelis unprotected in case of attack.

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel/AP}