Israel’s factories have moved hazardous materials out, municipal authorities are checking water supplies and bomb shelters, and ambulance services have stocked blood supplies in fortified underground storage, as the country awaits a threatened attack from Iran and its proxies.
Israel had fortified its home front for months since last October at the beginning of the war in Gaza when thousands of Hamas-led gunmen performed a devastating attack on Israeli communities.
Over the past 10 days, the urgency has increased sharply as the fight with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement has threatened to evolve into an all-out regional war.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met new army recruits and said he knew that Israeli citizens were on alert and asked them to keep cool and patient.
He added that Israel was prepared for both attack and defense and was determined to defend itself while striking its enemies.
Israel now has to face the threat of a multifront war with militant movements funded and backed by its longstanding enemy Iran, These include Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
It is expected an attack will be made in the coming days after vows from Hezbollah and Iran to retaliate for the assassinations of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
