Under threat of Iranian retaliation, Jerusalemites prepare

After the death of Ismail Haniyeh, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah promise retaliation. In Jerusalem, despite the apparent calm, the fear of a violent escalation is on everyone’s mind.

Israel on alert: Dozens of rockets were launched Thursday, August 1, by Hezbollah on northern Israel without causing any casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israel was on a “very high level“preparations for any scenario,”both defensive and offensive” as the population prepares for retaliation promised by Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

In Jerusalem, along the restaurants, families push baby carriages, teenagers eat their ice creams. In the heart of the city, it is difficult to imagine in the stifling heat of the night a city on the lookout. However, some clues: Gabriel, 25, is moaning. He should have been on a plane to the United States tonight, but several airlines, including Lufthansa, have started to suspend their flights. The death of Ismaël Haniyeh stunned him: “I thought, wow, it’s crazy that Israeli intelligence can know exactly where someone is and that you can assassinate them so precisely, without having to kill too many people around.“, the young man says.

“Strategically, it was the right thing to do, after the attack that killed the twelve young people in this football stadium, in the north of the country… They did it well instead of going around killing guys left and right, they knew exactly who to target, and it was the right time.”

Gabriel, a resident of Jerusalem,

to franceinfo

Gabriel has not forgotten the month of April and this attack of a hundred drones launched by Iran, in retaliation for the Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria.It’s going to be worse this time, but I don’t think people are going to get excited until the government tells them it’s starting. Because last time, the government was very directive, able to say exactly what time it was going to happen. So, until we’re given the six hours of warning like last time, I think people are going to be cool until we’re told…“, he puts it into perspective.

The fact remains that he has everything prepared: bomb shelter, evacuation… He will do what the State tells him to do, just like his sister, Learth.I feel safe because I have faith. But I see that many people have lost it and it leads us to chaos. Of course it is not ideal to have to just follow the government, but we have to stay united… Before the war, we were divided, it is sad, but, in a way, the war has united us. And we have to stay united“.

Enough to draw an ironic smile from their friend Ben. It is the army that must be trusted, he says, much more than the Netanyahu government.I don’t really see what his strategy is, but given the situation we’re in, this is really not the time to bring down the government and make the situation worse. Right now, we can’t do anything but blindly follow those who lead us, and believe that they can get us out of this.“

301 days after Hamas attack, Israel refuses to give in to fear. But demonstrations planned for Saturday in support of the hostages in Gaza have been cancelled, citing security concerns.