JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel began returning gas masks to its citizens.
Gas masks collected from citizens nearly two years ago to replace outdated components were returned Sunday in Or Yehuda.
Under a new pilot program in which the Israeli army’s Home Front Command and the Israel Postal Service return the masks to the civilian population, the gas masks also will be returned this week to residents of Kiryat Ono and Yehud, areas considered at higher risk of attacks.
Once the program is under way, it will take three to five years for masks to be redistributed to the civilian population, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
