Bat Yam resident indicted for blocking citizens from entering bomb shelter during Iran war

Liliana Luyan was charged with preventing a group of civilians from taking shelter during the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June.

An indictment was filed Sunday against Liliana Luyan, a 70-year-old resident of Bat Yam, for preventing civilians from entering a shelter during a missile attack from Iran on Israel.

This marks the first such case to result in criminal charges since the Israel-Iran war in June.

The incident occurred on Saturday, June 22, at 7:30 a.m., when an Iranian missile triggered sirens across Bat Yam during the 12-Day War. When a group of civilians attempted to enter a public shelter in a building on Arlozorov Street to seek refuge, Luyan, a resident of the building, stood at the entrance to the shelter, blocked the door with her body, and refused to allow them inside, according to the indictment.

She claimed there was “no room.” Despite their pleas and fears for their lives, Luyan slammed the door shut and also prevented them from entering another nearby shelter in the area. The refusal was filmed and first published by Walla, where she was seen blocking the entrance while a siren blared and civilians tried to get inside.

Bat Yam case is not an isolated incident

The unusual case in Bat Yam is not isolated. Reports from Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, and other central cities indicated that civilians trying to take cover during sirens were also met with locked doors and refusals at public shelters.

The indictment stated: “Through her actions, the defendant was in possession of a shelter but did not allow those nearby to enter and remain in it during the attack.” Luyan violated a clause in the Civil Defense Law, which requires that “anyone in possession of a shelter, during a special situation on the home front, must allow anyone nearby to enter and remain in the shelter for the duration of the attack.”

One of the individuals denied entry was Shuval Fuchs, 27, from central Israel. “We had no choice. There’s no shelter in my building, so we ran to the public shelter in the building next door,” Fuchs told Walla following the incident. “We got there, and the woman just refused to let us in. She stood at the door, closed it, and locked it. Six of us stood outside while the siren was still going.”

He said they tried to convince her to let them in, but to no avail. “We explained that we live just next door, that we had nowhere else to go, and she simply said no. At one point, we heard the boom and felt the building shake, so I opened the door and we went inside.”

Fuchs, a recently released reservist, said it was one of the most difficult situations he’s experienced. “I could have pushed her aside and forced my way in, but I decided not to. She could be my mother’s age. Even in emergencies, we need to preserve human dignity.”