Israel Enters War Emergency Amid Anticipated Retaliations from Iran and Hezbollah

A report by Amale Chehadeh, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

After three hundred days of the Al-Aqsa Flood War, in which the Israeli army failed to achieve its objectives, Israel as a whole entered a state of war emergency for the first time since October 7.

The security services have increased the protection level for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several security and military figures, primarily Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

Political, military, and security leaders are on high alert, anticipating the nature and timing of expected responses from Iran and Hezbollah, as well as from the Houthis.

Netanyahu, who considered the assassination of Hezbollah leader Fouad Shokor a significant achievement, continued his threats while trying to calm the panic among Israelis.

Meanwhile, Iranian threats of retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh have plunged all of Israel into a state of emergency. 

The northern front with Lebanon remains the central focus of preparedness and readiness. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has spent most of his time since Shokor's assassination in the northern command, where military drills are intensifying.

From there, he issued threats after revealing messages sent by Tel Aviv to Hezbollah through a third party, warning that a retaliation targeting civilians for Shokor's assassination would ignite a wide-scale war.

As for Iran, the response expectations are varied, including repeating scenes from the Iranian missile attacks that covered Israel in April.

Security assessment sessions with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are ongoing. In light of the anticipated scenarios, Haifa has witnessed preparations for retaliation, and extensive and unprecedented precautions have been taken.

Across Israel, factories containing hazardous materials have been shut down, all flights in and out have been canceled, and residents have been instructed to stay near shelters or safe places. Hospitals have also taken all necessary precautions.

Israelis have experienced an atmosphere of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty since Thursday morning, contrasting with the feeling of euphoria and victory that followed the operations in the southern suburbs of Beirut and Tehran.

In an attempt to maintain a sense of victory for the Israeli army and intelligence, Israel circulated an aerial image of the assassination operation targeting Hamas leader Mohammed Deif over two weeks ago, claiming that the image analysis confirmed Deif's death.