Police emergency

Call the police

Medical emergency

Call Magen David Adom for an ambulance

Fire

Call Fire and Rescue

You do not know which to call

Dial the universal emergency number from any phone; it routes you

Check: Works and routes to emergency services, but lead with 100, 101 or 102 when you know which you need. Confirmed from secondary sources only.

Rocket siren or security event

Home Front Command instructions

Medical emergency, a faster first responder

United Hatzalah, volunteer medics who often reach you before the ambulance. Use alongside 101, not instead of it· free

You or someone else is in immediate danger of self-harm

Call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency room now. This is a medical emergency and comes first, before anything else on this page· free

You need to talk to someone right now

ERAN, emotional first aid, is free and anonymous around the clock by phone and online chat· free

You would rather write than speak

SAHAR gives anonymous emotional support online, by chat and forum, for people who find it easier to type than to talk· free

You want ongoing therapy, not just a crisis line

Your health fund covers subsidised mental health treatment. Ask your kupah for a mental health referral (hafnaya), which is your entitlement as a member

Check: Public-system waiting lists can be long and Hebrew is usually the working language. Many olim also use private English-speaking therapists; NEFESH International maintains a directory of English-speaking, culturally-aware professionals.

You or a family member is living with mental illness

Enosh, the Israeli Mental Health Association, supports people with mental illness and their families, with branches around the country

Check: Services are mostly Hebrew-first, so confirm language support at your local branch.

Car stuck: flat tyre, dead battery, locked out, child locked in, out of fuel

Yedidim, volunteers who come and help for free· free

Check: Free and nationwide 24 hours, but NOT on Shabbat or Jewish holidays. Hebrew-first line. The lookalike yedidim.org.il is a different charity.

A gas leak (cooking or heating LPG)

Do not touch light switches or phones inside. Close the valve, open windows, leave, then call your supplier from outside

Check: Your supplier is printed on the gas balloon, meter and bill. If unknown, 106 (municipality) can identify it.

A brush fire or wildfire near your home

Call Fire and Rescue immediately, even if you assume others called. If told to evacuate, leave at once

Trapped in a lift

Press the alarm button in the cab, which connects to the maintenance company. If nobody answers or someone is in distress, call Fire and Rescue

Drowning or trouble in the sea

Alert the lifeguard first, it is far faster. Otherwise call the police, who dispatch marine rescue, and an ambulance for the casualty

Check: Swim only at a declared beach during lifeguard hours. There is no separate national sea-rescue number.

A snake or scorpion bite

Call an ambulance. Keep still, immobilise the limb, remove rings. Do not cut, suck, tourniquet, ice or heat the bite

Stuck or injured while hiking

Call the police, who dispatch the regional volunteer rescue units. Stay put in shade, keep your phone charged for a location link

Check: We could not confirm whether rescue is free; ambulance or helicopter evacuation may be billed and partly covered by your health fund.

A dog bite, or a stray or rabid animal

Wash the wound with soap and water, see a doctor the same day for the rabies decision, and report the animal to the municipal vet

Check: A biting animal is quarantined for 10 days by law even if vaccinated. Rabies has risen in the north, mainly from jackals, so treat a wild-animal bite seriously.

A terror attack or mass-casualty event

Get away and take cover, then call the police and an ambulance. Follow Home Front Command instructions and do not crowd the scene

Trauma after a terror or war event

NATAL, the trauma and resilience centre, for war and terror-related distress· free

A missing person or a lost child

Call the police immediately. There is no waiting period; the 24-hour rule is a myth. Have a recent photo and the last known location ready

You have been scammed or defrauded

If money moved, call your bank or card issuer first to freeze it, then file a police complaint

Check: The online complaint needs a GovID login and becomes formal only once an investigator processes it. The gov.il page could not be opened on our check.

Phishing, a hacked account or ransomware

Israel National Cyber Directorate hotline (does not replace a police complaint)· free

Check: Confirmed across multiple secondary sources; no official page could be fetched.

Online harm to a child

Mokked 105, the national bureau for online harm to minors, 24/7

Check: This line is specifically for online harm to a child, not general fraud.

Sexual assault (women)

Rape crisis centre, free and 24/7· free

Check: English availability varies by the volunteer on shift.

Sexual assault (men)

Rape crisis centre, free and 24/7· free

Check: English availability varies by the volunteer on shift.

Domestic violence

The Welfare Ministry hotline, 24/7, answered in several languages· free

Check: Answered in Hebrew, Arabic, Amharic, Russian and English.

Ripped off, misled, or an aggressive sale

Complain to the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority· free

Check: The online complaint form is the Authority’s preferred route. A widely-repeated *2828 number is unconfirmed and is not used here.

Charged more than the displayed price

The displayed shelf price is the binding price. Complain to the Consumer Protection Authority above

Faulty goods, or a refund refused

Complain in writing to the business first, then escalate to the Israel Consumer Council

Check: Israel has a 14-day cancellation framework for many purchases. Confirm the specifics for your case before relying on them.

The dispute is small and not worth a lawyer

File in the Small Claims Court yourself; lawyers are not allowed there

Check: The ceiling is adjusted every January, so treat ₪39,900 as the 2026 figure and check the current one.

A dispute with your bank

Complain to the bank first; if unresolved in 45 days, the Bank of Israel Banking Supervision public enquiries unit

Check: Covers accounts, fees, mortgages, cards and the bank’s handling of fraud.

A dispute with an insurer or pension fund

The Capital Market, Insurance and Savings Authority public enquiries unit

Check: A sometimes-quoted *3452 is not this line; the verified number is *3002.

Someone has died

Call Magen David Adom; a doctor must certify the death. If unexpected or unattended, the police are involved too

Arranging the burial

Contact the hevra kadisha for your city. ITIM keeps the directory and helps you navigate the bureaucracy in English

Check: There is no single national number; it is per city. A standard burial in the city of residence is covered by National Insurance, which is worth confirming for your case.

You want free help arranging everything

Tzohar’s mourners service, free and volunteer-run· free

Power cut or electrical fault

Israel Electric Corporation fault line (have your contract number)

Water fault or burst

Your city water corporation’s fault line, printed on your water bill, or the municipal hotline

Check: There is no single national water number; it is your local water corporation.

Poisoning or a dangerous substance

National Poison Information Centre at Rambam, 24/7

Lost or stolen teudat zehut or passport

Book at the Population and Immigration Authority, bring photo ID and a signed loss declaration

Check: A police report is not needed for a lost ID card, only to get the fee exemption for a stolen passport or travel document.