Two Israeli sources told CNN that Israel is preparing for the possibility of a “significant expansion” of attacks by Iran and Hezbollah as early as tonight, as well as the possibility of the Houthis in Yemen firing at Israel for the first time since the war began.
An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is convening a top-level meeting to discuss the latest developments.
Tension is already being felt on the ground, as local authority leaders in the north are warning residents following alerts from security officials. Council head Moshe Davidovich issued an urgent call to residents to remain close to protected spaces and reduce movement.
In many communities in the Galil and near the northern border, extracurricular activities, social events, and gatherings scheduled for the evening have been canceled due to fears of an unusual barrage from Hezbollah.
Security officials have updated local council heads about the possibility of heavy rocket fire in the coming hours.
Over the past hour, several local authorities across Israel published notices to residents announcing the adoption of unusual precautionary measures, following information received from security officials regarding the possibility of extensive rocket fire.
In some municipalities it was decided to end extracurricular and informal activities earlier than usual and to instruct residents to remain near protected spaces. The unusual announcements quickly triggered a wave of rumors on social media, with some posts being inaccurate and even described by security officials as fake news.
Nevertheless, the defense establishment stressed that situational assessments are conducted routinely every day and that at present no special instructions have been issued to the civilian home front beyond the existing Home Front Command guidelines.
In the city of Netanya, for example, officials informed residents that following a situational assessment, a decision was made to adopt heightened caution and suspend all informal activities in the city.
The municipality’s announcement stated: “Following the situational assessment that has just taken place, we have decided to exercise extra caution and end all informal activities across the city. Continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and remain close to protected spaces.”
The municipality also emphasized that if a siren is heard, residents must immediately enter a protected area, even if no early warning was given, and remain there until receiving an official all-clear message from the Home Front Command.
Similar messages were issued in other communities. In the local council of Ein Sarid, residents were instructed to immediately disperse gatherings in public spaces, including lawns, cafés, and playgrounds, and to return home. Parents were asked to arrive quickly and collect their children.
In the local council of Even Yehuda, council head Matan Katzman announced that following an indication from the Home Front Command about the possibility of a barrage in the coming hours, all extracurricular and informal education activities in the town were cancelled.
The notice to residents stated that strict adherence to defensive instructions is required and that residents should ensure they can quickly reach a protected space, especially after sirens in recent days were sometimes heard without early warning.
The Mateh Asher Regional Council also issued a message to residents following situational assessments and updates received from security officials. The announcement stated that there is a possibility of wide-scale rocket fire toward the area during the evening, and residents were therefore asked to remain near protected spaces.
According to officials in the council, this step was taken out of an abundance of caution in order to protect lives, while urging the public to continue following official announcements from local authorities and the Home Front Command.
At the same time, the IDF addressed the public discussion that developed on social media following the unusual announcements. The IDF spokesperson emphasized that despite the reports, there is currently no change in the Home Front Command’s defense policy.
“I am aware of the public discussion in recent hours about the possibility of increased rocket fire,” the IDF spokesperson said. “I want to emphasize that there is currently no change in the Home Front Command’s defense guidelines.”
He added that the IDF is prepared with strong defensive capabilities and will continue to act as required to protect Israel’s citizens.
“We continue to conduct ongoing situation assessments and will update if any change occurs. Continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command — they save lives.”
Despite the wave of rumors circulating online, security officials again stress that the public should rely only on official announcements from local authorities and the Home Front Command and avoid spreading unverified information.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)