Monday, March 2nd, 2026
Situation Overview
The current escalation began early Saturday morning, February 28. Since then, Israel has been under sustained bombardment, with the heaviest fire directed toward central areas of the country. Residents nationwide are required to remain close to bomb shelters or safe rooms. The Home Front Command has extended the state of emergency through Friday, March 13, 2026.
Community Status
The most important update: as of now, we have not heard of any athlete or staff member who has been directly harmed by the bombardments. That said, all of us are directly affected — staying close to protected spaces, on constant alert, and experiencing very serious barrages from Iran.
People seem better prepared than during the war in June 2025. No one has voiced a need for more secure housing. The primary challenges our members face right now are anxiety and fear, as well as the inability to come to The Center to train, get out of the house, and spend time with friends. Ayelet Avraham, head of social services, is in contact with staff and athletes who may be at higher risk.
Facility Status
Following Home Front Command instructions, the Sport Center remains closed at least through Wednesday evening, March 4, 2026. At this stage, it is impossible to know how long this situation will last or under what conditions we will be able to safely reopen.
Gil, head of maintenance, has secured approval from Home Front Command to continue work on the semi-Olympic pool — this is made possible thanks to the shelters we had installed at the beginning of the war.
Tournaments
Sergei Lysov was scheduled to fly this Friday to the U.S. for two important wheelchair tennis tournaments (a 500 and a 1,000 event). Yehonatan Levi and Caroline Tabib were scheduled to travel to Poland next week for a para-table tennis tournament. The Israel national wheelchair basketball team was scheduled to attend the EuroLeague quarterfinals which begin on March 11th. We are waiting to see if it is somehow possible to get any of these athletes on flights in time to compete abroad.
Locally, the para-table tennis Israel championships have been postponed.
Programs
Each program head or coach is in touch with their athletes, hosting Zoom sessions, and creating home-exercise and remote learning programs wherever possible.
For example, Roman and Mushki from the rowing program are training at home with their virtual support from their coach Vitali, physiotherapist and strength coach. Roman, a new immigrant whose home was destroyed during the June 2025 war with Iran, received a rowing simulator from Beit Daniela so he can continue training at home. Their first international start is scheduled for June 2026.
The wheelchair rugby team is watching games from previous championships together remotely to strengthen tactics and continue learning.
Tal Cohen, head of the children’s program, is holding Zoom meetings with the children and youth.
Ayelet is hosting a Zoom session with the young competitive swimmers as part of her new program to offer psychological support to young competitive athletes at The Center.
Online Activities
Planned in advance and piloted during the last round with Iran, our online programming, coordinated by Pavel in partnership with three other organizations, has been a bright spot for our members during this challenging period. Classes began yesterday and run throughout the day on a daily basis. Attendance has been strong from yesterday’s first class, a strengthening class with the beloved Angela, with around 15 people attending. Today, Gal’s Parkinson’s-specific exercise class had 13 participants. These sessions are providing both physical activity and a vital sense of connection for members who would otherwise be isolated at home.