Israel braces for Iranian retaliation with security ramp-up
Israel is preparing for a retaliatory attack by Iran following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Preparations include a command bunker and satellite phones for key state figures. According to Axios, the attack will occur on Monday, 5 August.
The internal security service Shin Bet has prepared a command bunker in Jerusalem capable of withstanding significant attacks, where senior leaders can remain for extended periods in the event of war, as reported by the Walla portal on Sunday. It was reported that government members and senior officials have been provided with satellite phones in case terrestrial and mobile networks are destroyed.
The military command responsible for civil defense has also completed tests of a new alarm system that sends SMS warnings to all mobile phone users in a given area. According to the command, the system is intended to assist in emergencies, such as a rocket attack on Israel. Additionally, Israel operates an alarm siren system, with warnings visible on the civil defence app and broadcast in the media in case of danger.
Transport Minister Miri Regev has ordered the organisation of flights to Cyprus to assist Israelis stranded abroad due to many airlines cancelling flights to and from Tel Aviv, Channel 12 television reported. Israelis wishing to return to the country are also being brought back by military transport aircraft. Authorities recommend that citizens head to Greece and Cyprus, where transport to Israel will be organised.
Escalation in the Middle East
The situation in the Middle East is the most tense it has been for months, and there is a growing threat of further escalation of Israel's conflict with Iran and its allies—Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthi movement—on various fronts.
Following Israel's recent strike on Beirut and the attributed attack in Tehran, which killed senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran and its allies have vowed revenge.
The USA has announced that it will help Israel fend off a potential attack and is reinforcing its forces in the Middle East. However, fears are growing that a cycle of attacks could lead to full-scale war. President Joe Biden and American diplomacy stress the need to reduce tensions.
