Israel has inaugurated the world's first underground missile-resistant blood bank, the Israeli National Organization for Emergency Medicine and Transfusion, Magen David Adom (MDA), announced on Tuesday.
The building in the city of Ramli, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, was inaugurated on Monday evening but is expected to be officially operational later this year, an MDA spokeswoman said.
"Receiving a blood transfusion, an irreplaceable gift of life from a stranger, is an important reminder that from now on we can feel safe thanks to this impressive new center," said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The National Blood Bank was built to "protect Israel's strategically important blood reserves from missile, chemical and biological attacks, as well as earthquakes," the MDA said in a statement.
The building consists of six floors, three of which are underground.
The American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) bear the cost of building a blood bank in the amount of about $ 135 million. The new facility is expected to store about half a million units of blood, the Jerusalem Post reported.

In the past, emergency services have been forced to suspend the blood donation process during missile strikes and transfer blood supplies to shelters.
"This center will enable Magena David Adoma to save countless lives in war and peace," said Catherine Reed, AFMDA chief executive.
The new building has particularly thick cement walls and numerous defense mechanisms in the event of an attack with biological or chemical weapons.