skills-il/government-services/israeli-war-damage-claims

Israeli War Damage Claims

Legal notice

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Any text this tool drafts is an automatic draft for your personal preparation only. It is not a document prepared by an advocate and must not be relied on as evidence. This tool is not a substitute for advice that takes account of the particular circumstances and needs of each person. Before starting proceedings, signing a document, or filing with an authority or a court, consult an advocate. All use of its output is the user's sole responsibility.

Problem

Claiming from the Tax Authority's Compensation Fund for rocket and missile damage involves two tracks, separate deadlines, and contents ceilings that vary by household. Some mistakes (repairing before the appraiser sees the damage, taking the fast track on a borderline claim) cannot be undone afterwards.

The direct-damage process here is the same across recent conflicts, Iron Swords, Operation Am K'Lavi (the war with Iran), and Shaagat HaAri (from 28 February 2026).

Instructions

This skill ends in three artifacts the user can act on: a claim calendar (Step 2), a contents claim worksheet (Step 5), and, if needed, an appeal preparation checklist (Step 8). Collect the inputs first: the damage date, the address, what was damaged (structure, contents, vehicle, business property), the household composition, and whether the user bought the optional contents insurance before the damage.

Step 1: Identify the Damage Type and Correct Track

Key distinction: The Compensation Fund (under the Property Tax and Compensation Fund Law, 1961) handles direct physical damage. Indirect economic damage is a completely separate process with its own tracks, portals, forms and appeal routes (for Shaagat HaAri, an additional indirect-damage track for March and April 2026 was added to the 1961 Law as a temporary provision). If the loss is turnover decline, employee wages, or fixed business costs, route to israeli-business-war-compensation immediately.

Step 2: Document the Damage and Build the Claim Calendar

Do not repair, and do not clear debris, before the Fund's appraiser has seen it. The Tax Authority guide: "אין לפנות ציוד, מלאי, פסולת או כל חפץ זר שנמצא בבית המגורים או בעסק, ללא תיאום מוקדם עם שמאי מטעם קרן הפיצויים. ניתן לפנות את הזכוכיות שנסדקו טרם הגעת צוותי קרן הפיצויים לאזור שנפגע. אסור לתקן ללא בדיקת שמאי." Cracked glass is the one thing you may clear first. The same rule applies to vehicles: repair at any garage, but only after the Fund's appraiser approves the repair.

Mitigate what you safely can. Regulation 7(ב) lets the director reduce compensation "אם נוכח כי הניזוק לא פעל באופן סביר להקטנת הנזק". Covering an opening against rain is mitigation; a full repair is not, and needs the appraiser first.

Documentation checklist:

1. Photograph all damage from multiple angles (wide shots and close-ups), and the whole apartment for context
2. Keep damaged items in place until the appraiser has seen them
3. Collect repair quotes from licensed professionals (at least 2 recommended)
4. Save receipts for any emergency work already done
5. Note the exact date and time of the damage event
6. Save Pikud HaOref alerts or news reports for that date as supporting evidence

Fast track only: do not take the claim photos in advance. They must be taken at the damage site AFTER the claim is opened, through a link sent by SMS (Step 4).

The claim calendar (artifact 1). Compute these dates from the user's damage date and hand them over as a list. Flag any date that has passed or falls within the next few days, and tell the user to file the notice and the claim together now:

Three rules to state alongside the calendar:

• The notice and the claim are two separate filings. Filing the notice does not file the claim. Plan for the shorter one-month figure and confirm on *4954 if in doubt.
• Neither deadline is an automatic forfeiture. Regulation 5(ג): "המנהל רשאי להאריך את המועדים... אם נוכח כי ישנה סיבה סבירה לכך". Ask for the extension BEFORE the deadline passes where you can. A refusal to extend can itself be appealed to the ועדת ערר.
• The director has deadlines too. Regulation 8(ב): the decision is to be sent "תוך ששה חדשים מיום הגשת התביעה". Regulation 8(ג): compensation is paid "תוך שלושים יום מיום ההחלטה". Regulation 8(ד) adds interest from 30 days after the damage until payment.
• Ask for an advance. While the amount is not yet fixed, regulation 13 lets the director guarantee a loan or pay "מקדמה שלא תעלה על 50% מסכום הפיצויים". Regulation 9(ג): any overpayment, advance included, is repaid within 90 days of a demand, with linkage and interest.

Step 3: Choose Between Fast Track and Regular Track

Fast track trade-offs to spell out to the user:

• A fast-track claim is filed instead of a regular claim, and no further claim can be filed on the same event in the regular track. Check for every damaged item before submitting.
• Giving up the appeal on a partial award is the real cost. Someone with a borderline claim who might want to contest a low figure should prefer the regular track.
• A fast-track claim that is not approved is passed to the regular track, where an appraiser assesses it.
• A damaged car too? The fast track excludes vehicles, yet it bars a further regular claim on the same event. Before choosing it, confirm on *4954 that the vehicle claim stays open (how the Fund applies the bar to vehicles is not published).

The fast track is opened per operation and then closed. For Shaagat HaAri its filing deadline was 28.04.2026, after which only the regular track remained. Never tell a user the fast track is open without checking the current status on the Tax Authority claim page or *4954; if it is closed, the regular track is the only route.

Switching tracks: During Shaagat HaAri, people who had filed a regular claim from 28.02.2026 and had not yet had an appraiser visit could switch through the "מעבר מסלול" button in the claim.

Step 4: File the Claim Online

Filing: the Tax Authority's online direct-damage claim (הגשת תביעה מקוונת - נזק ישיר) on gov.il, or the Compensation Fund's hotline *4954 (the Tax Authority guide names both). The claim page offers three routes: regular, fast, and a route without identification.

Who can file: the property (structure) owner, whoever is funding the restoration, and the owner of the damaged contents, including a tenant.

Required information:

1. Israeli ID number (Teudat Zehut)
2. Property address
3. Description of the damage and the amount claimed
4. Repair quotes that match the amount claimed
5. Bank account details in the claimant's name for payment
6. For a business's stock and equipment: purchase invoices for the stock and Form 11 (טופס י"א) for the equipment

Vehicle claims also need: the vehicle licence; a police confirmation that includes the vehicle number and the signature of a police investigator and officer; a power of attorney if the filer is not the owner; the leasing agreement for a long-term leased car or the rental agreement for a taxi; for a repair over NIS 10,000, the insurer's confirmation that no insurance claim was filed; and a cheque copy or bank confirmation of an account in the claimant's name.

Fast track photos: after the details are entered, the system sends an SMS link. Photos must be taken and uploaded from the damage site only, after that SMS. The Tax Authority checks the phone's location at upload time; photos taken earlier or uploaded elsewhere are not accepted and the claim is not completed.