Bat Melech, which operates shelters for religious and ultra-Orthodox women fleeing domestic violence, reported Wednesday a rise in calls to its hotline during periods of war, warning that security emergencies are increasingly being felt inside Israeli homes.
According to figures released by the organization, 167 calls were made to Bat Melech’s hotline in June 2025, when the 12-day war with Iran took place, compared with 116 calls in June 2024 – an increase of nearly 44%.
A similar pattern appeared following the current Iran operation, the organization said. In April, the hotline received 100 calls, compared with 83 in April 2024, an increase of about 20%.
Bat Melech said the figures for May have not yet been finalized, but that the pressure is already clear: all three of its shelters are full, with waiting lists.
“During wartime, pressure rises, families spend longer periods at home, and violence can escalate,” Bat Melech chairwoman attorney Tzilit Jacobson said. “For many women, home becomes something they have to survive.”
Jacobson said the organization often sees the largest wave of calls not during the fighting itself, but after it ends.
“That is when the quiet wave of requests for help arrives,” she said. “At the same time, we are seeing more awareness and more willingness among women in the religious and haredi sectors to seek help from a professional, discreet address.”
Children need support after arrival in abuse shelters
Inside the shelters, the organization said, the crisis does not end once women and children reach safety. Families often arrive suddenly and in distress, sometimes with only an hour’s notice.
Shahar Fried, 19, a national service volunteer in one of Bat Melech’s shelters in central Israel, said staff first try to give children a sense of calm and continuity.
“We make a welcome sign, prepare the beds, smile, and try to give them a moment to breathe,” she said. “What builds trust is consistency. They need to know someone will still be there tomorrow.”
Fried said small moments with the children often reveal the reality they came from, including how deeply violence had shaped what they considered normal.
“Moments like that remind you what these children have lived through,” she said.
Bat Melech’s 24/7 hotline is 1800-292-333.
