Israel Police debut first ever bulletproof ambulances

Israel Police announced that Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai inaugurated the first bulletproof ambulances in Israeli Police history at a modest ceremony on Tuesday.

During Hamas's October 7 massacre, search and rescue forces were unable to access many of the battle zones due to the lack of protection, resulting in additional casualties. Introducing these ambulances aims to prevent such a scenario from repeating.

Commissioner Shabtai highlighted the necessity of these ambulances, especially for special units operating in high-risk areas.

"We have only recently finished debriefing the events of October 7th. There were officers evacuated in private vehicles that were exposed to gunfire," Shabtai stated. "Armored ambulances are especially necessary for special units operating in difficult areas."

The initiative was spearheaded by the nonprofits Israel Friends and Let's Do Something (LDS), which provided the funding and support necessary for this critical enhancement.

LDS was established shortly after the massacre, when a group of five lifelong friends decided to take action following the death of their friend David Newman at the Nova music festival. In just 24 hours, they mobilized resources and have since donated over 15 million dollars in support of soldiers and civilians affected by the massacre.

Israel Friends, also played an instrumental role in this initiative, having streamlined donations, and secured around 500 tons of equipment worth approximately 26 million dollars for the IDF and Israel’s security forces since the onset of the war.

What to expect from the armored ambulances

The new ambulances are equipped with B6 armored protection, featuring ballistic glass windows designed to withstand shots from AK-47s, pistols, and assault rifles. Additionally, the vehicles have steel plate doors that create an armored capsule around them, ensuring the safety of the patients and the medical personnel.

Previously, armored ambulances were used exclusively by Israel’s National Counter Terrorism Unit (Yamam). Now, the new vehicles will serve other elite units of the Israel Police, including Yamas (Israel Border Police’s undercover counter-terrorism unit), the Gideonim (a specialized undercover counter-terrorism unit), Yasam (special patrol), and various other units. Additionally, these ambulances will support the police’s medical facilities, ensuring a broader scope of protection and medical response capabilities.