Ad-hocability: crisis management centres following the Hamas attack on Israel

On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an unprovoked attack on Israel, which resulted in immediate mayhem and chaos. Within hours, hundreds of civilian crisis management centres were created by activists and volunteers, many of them assisted successfully in a variety of areas. This article examined the information management practices of eight centres, using semi-structured interviews. Two factors contributed to the crisis management centres’ success: their ad hoc nature and the use of readily available, easy-to-use technology for the management, sharing, and organisation of information. The article highlights the benefits and efficacy of employing more straightforward and readily available technical solutions in crisis management.