During the month of May 2026, 27 people were found dead in their homes across the country - many days and sometimes even weeks after their death.
According to ZAKA data, this is an increase of approximately 170% compared to May of last year, when only 10 people were identified in similar cases.
Among the cases treated during the month: an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor who was located in Beersheba, a 54-year-old woman in Dimona whose family was certain that she was hospitalized, a 69-year-old man who was located in Netanya alongside his mother who suffers from dementia, and a 50-year-old woman who lived alone in a shelter in Eilat without electricity or lighting.
Haim Weingarten, ZAKA's Deputy Director of Operations: "27 people who died alone and were only found after long days in just one month, this is a painful and worrying statistic. Behind every such case stands a person who was not there to notice their absence in time. One knock on the door or one phone call can make all the difference.""
Moti Bookchin, a spokesman for ZAKA, said: "The data for the month of May is a social wake-up call. Loneliness has become a real danger to life. Behind each of the 27 cases is a person who lives among us, but no one noticed his absence for many days. This is the responsibility of all of us as a family, as neighbors, and as a community.""
