Amid rising concerns over a potential US-Iran war, Israeli citizens are on high alert in preparation for any potential attacks against the country by Tehran.
Diplomatic efforts in Geneva stalled on February 26 between the Iranians and Americans, as reports indicate the two sides could not reach an agreement. Iranian and American negotiators briefly suspended their third round of talks on February 26, then resumed the same day.
Meanwhile, Israel's Home Front Command has remained silent on whether to raise threat levels as a potential conflagration.
Still, the possibility of a US strike on Iran remains on the table. Speaking at his first State of the Union from Washington since being re-elected, Trump said "our enemies are scared...and America is respected like never before" prior to adding that "for decades it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons."
“I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump concluded.
The silence from Israeli defence authorities has not prevented local officials from activating contingency plans.
Municipal preparations are already underway, suggesting that local authorities are hedging against sudden escalation whilst avoiding public alarm.
"Last week we were at a meeting with the head of the National Emergency Authority, in order to also clarify things and prepare," Haim Bibas, Mayor of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, told N12. Zvika Brut, Mayor of Bat Yam, added: "We are prepared to go from zero to one hundred, meaning to a full state of emergency within 20 minutes, in all aspects, but on the other hand, we are also busy maintaining calm at the moment, explaining to the public that right now it is a complete routine."
Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama HaCohen added that the city has equipped itself with Starlink satellite systems to maintain communications if electricity and internet networks are damaged. HaCohen confirmed the city is "in an emergency state of distributing informational materials, updating the lessons we have learned and the improvements we have made to the emergency system."
The Assuta hospital network has converted its Ramat HaHayal parking lot into a 200-bed emergency facility. "When necessary, the Assuta Ramat HaHayal parking lot becomes a hospital complex for 200 inpatient beds," CEO Gidi Leshetz confirmed in a press statement.
Tel Aviv residents also expressed mounting anxiety. "I'm a little stressed just because of the children and grandchildren. I have a bag by the door at home with a few things that I need," Dafna Gordon explained, whilst Yaarit Atal noted: "The uncertainty is what's stressful, that we don't know what the future holds."
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