Israel’s fortified underground blood bank processes unprecedented amounts as troops move into Gaza

By ALON BERNSTEIN and SAM MEDNICK
Associated Press

RAMLA, Israel (AP) — Hours after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, the country’s new fortified, subterranean blood bank kicked into action. Staffers moved equipment into the underground bunker and started to save lives. The Marcus National Blood Services Center in Ramla, near Tel Aviv, had been scheduled to open within days, but the Hamas raids that killed more than 1,400 people changed the timeline. Staff at the center say the bank supplied tens of thousands of units of blood in the days that followed the Hamas raids, processing more blood than has ever been held in Israel’s reserves. Center staff members say the steel and concrete facility some 50 feet underground is safe from rockets, missiles, chemical attack and earthquakes.