The families of October 7th victims who were murdered by Hamas terrorists in Sderot are suing the municipality and Motorola, after their relatives were locked out of a bomb shelters whose doors were meant to automatically open in the event of a rocket siren.

The plaintiffs are demanding 12 million shekels (some $3.1 million) in damages, after a so-called “smart shelter” was inaccessible during intense rocket bombardment and a subsequent attack by Hamas gunmen.

On October 7th, 2023, a bus transporting 13 Russian=speaking retirees on an organized day trip to the Dead Sea stopped in Sderot as the rocket fire began.

Due to its proximity to the Strip and the frequency of rocket attacks on the city, Sderot has numerous public shelters which are meant to be quickly accessible to residents.

However, after a modernization project with telecommunications company Motorola, the doors of the bomb shelters remain shut at all times.

In theory, the doors of the “smart shelters” are meant to open as soon as a rocket siren is activated in the city.

But despite the repeated rocket sirens on October 7th which should have triggered the doors to automatically open, the shelter’s doors remained locked.

Several members of the tour group sent photos and videos of themselves trying to force open the locked shelter doors to their family and friends.

Minutes later, Hamas terrorists shot and killed the entire group as they stood in front of the shelter, with only their driver surviving.

The lawsuit states that had the doors opened, the tour group may have been able to hide from the terrorists and survive the attack.

The suit also claims that the Sderot municipality intentionally hid information about the shelter malfunctioning from the families.

At least 50 people were murdered in Sderot as Hamas terrorists rampaged through the city.

A gun battle that lasted more than 24 hours at the Sderot police station saw more than 20 police officers killed.

Image - Chaim Goldberg/Flash90