A message circulating among Beersheba residents on Monday afternoon urges them to check their eligibility for a personal gun license and go arm themselves, according to the message.
A message circulated among Beersheba residents on Monday afternoon urging them to check their eligibility for a personal gun license and arm themselves. The call follows a series of government steps expanding firearm access in the city, which began on Sunday, August 2, when National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir approved the recognition of hundreds of streets as eligible for personal firearm licenses, opening the process to tens of thousands of residents. Earlier on Monday, The Zioneer reported the expansion as part of the ongoing post-October 7 civilian defense policy.
The Sunday announcement, published at 14:55 Jerusalem time, unfolded in several increments: initial approval for five neighborhoods, followed by a broader expansion to hundreds of streets, and later confirmation from the minister's office. The Jerusalem Post later reported that 126 communities have been added to the eligibility map in 2026 alone, and that gun ownership has doubled since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The policy is part of a broader reform that has seen over 280,000 Israelis receive gun licenses.
Beersheba, Israel's fourth-largest metropolitan area, has been a focal point of the security situation in the Negev. As The Zioneer reported on Monday, the city's strategic importance and its role as a frequent target for ballistic missiles and UAVs have driven the expansion of civilian defense measures. The message urging residents to arm themselves aligns with the official policy, though its source was not immediately clear.
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