A day after Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates and Oman, Israeli mayors are preparing for the collapse of the ceasefire and the possible resumption of fire at the Israeli home front. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav and Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich said Tuesday in the ynet studio that they are preparing their cities for any development and addressed the lack of sufficient protection for residents. In Ashdod, officials have already announced the opening of shelters.
Yahav made clear that he trusts his city’s residents to be prepared. “In Haifa, life goes on as usual. We have not raised the alert level. The residents have iron discipline. I do not trust the terrorist organizations, and we are preparing ourselves for any surprise,” he said. He added that 35% of residents have no protected space, noting that the municipality is working to change that. “We are moving to protect these homes. In my view, it will take a year and a half.”
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Damage from an Iranian missile strike on a military complex in Haifa
(Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP)
Yahav criticized the government and the military, saying they do not acknowledge Haifa’s residents. “They do not come here and do not call me, even though I am the most experienced politician in the country. I am bitterly angry about it. I am a huge patriot. We are the largest city in the north. How did they forget this?”
Rishon Lezion did not wait for the war to resume and has already opened public shelters. “Everyone knows I err on the side of caution because the city leads in sirens," Kinstlich told ynet. "At the same time, we are not rushing, but we are on full alert. Already this morning we inspected all the shelters. Unfortunately, we are used to going from zero to 100 faster than a Tesla.”
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Destruction in Rishon LeZion after a direct hit by an Iranian missile in June, 2025
(Photo: Rishon LeZion Municipality spokespeople and the drone unit of the Public Security and Order Company)
Kinstlich also addressed residents’ personal protection. “Unfortunately, Rishon is not a young city, and about 50,000 residents lack protected spaces. That is exactly why we are activating our entire mass-protection system. We are opening educational institutions, and residents can come sleep there” in those buildings' shelters.
The Ashdod Municipality also announced the opening of shelters and said municipal forces are on alert. City officials stressed that this is only an increase in internal readiness, with no change in Home Front Command instructions.
Ashdod mayor Dr. Yehiel Lasri called on residents to remain alert and follow instructions. “In light of the rising tensions, I instructed last night that the city’s alert level be raised and readiness increased across all municipal systems," he said. "There is full readiness to open protected spaces, the operations center is staffed and the municipal hotline has been reinforced. Our task forces are on full alert and prepared for any scenario.”
Iran fires at US ships
The escalation in the Persian Gulf began after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Operation Freedom, aimed at allowing ships to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz while maintaining the naval blockade on Iranian ports. In response, Iran attacked military and commercial vessels with missiles, drones and speedboats, and for the first time since the ceasefire began, fired in waves toward the UAE and Oman.
First published: 11:58, 05.05.26