The southern Israeli city of Ashdod on Monday night opened public bomb shelters, as tensions between the Iranian regime and the United States continue to rise.
Meanwhile, Rishon Letzion, a Tel Aviv suburb with some 260,000 residents, on Tuesday morning inspected all shelters in the city, Mayor Raz Kinstlich told Ynet.
“There is no change in policy, but we are on full alert,” Kinstlich said. “We’re used to going from zero to 100,” he added, noting that some 50,000 of the city’s residents have no bomb shelter in their homes.
Ashdod Mayor Yehiel Lasri, whose city counts around 230,000 people, informed residents on Tuesday morning that he instructed officials “to raise the alert level and to increase preparedness across all municipal systems, in light of the rising tensions.”
“The shelters were already opened last night in the late evening hours,” Lasri wrote in an announcement. “There is full readiness to open mamakim [floor-wide protected spaces], the emergency operations center is staffed and the municipal hotline has been reinforced.”
“Our task forces are on full alert and prepared for any scenario. I call on everyone to remain vigilant, follow instructions and avoid non-essential activities,” he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held top-level security talks on Monday to prepare for the collapse of the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., officials told the Channel 12 News outlet on Tuesday.
“We are aware of the possible implications of the American action, including renewed Iranian hostilities against Israel,” said one unnamed official, referencing U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” to ensure the free flow of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran launched missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates on Monday for the first time since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect last month, moderately injuring three.
Also on Monday, the U.S. military sank seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats in the Strait of Hormuz after a South Korean cargo vessel came under Iranian fire.
An anonymous Israeli security source who spoke to Channel 12 said that, “until now, the ball was in Trump’s hands—now it has moved to the Iranians.”
“If they decide to fight over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, it will mean a return to hostilities,” the source added.
A military official told JNS on Monday night that the Israel Defense Forces was “closely monitoring the situation and remains on high alert.”
“Our air-defense systems and offensive capabilities remain at a high state of readiness, which has not changed since the ceasefire came into effect,” the official stressed.
The official noted there are currently no changes in the IDF Home Front Command guidelines for civilians, adding that any update would be announced through official military channels.
