Hospitals across Israel have entered emergency mode and begun relocating critical operations to fortified underground facilities, as the country braces for a potential large-scale Iranian response to Tel Aviv’s deadly air strikes on Friday morning, Haaretz has reported.
The nationwide shift includes the cancellation of non-essential procedures, early discharge of stable patients, and the activation of secure underground departments, the Israeli newspaper said.
According to the report, hospitals in northern Israel—including Emek Medical Center in Afula, Bnai Zion in Haifa, Poriya in Tiberias, and Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya—initiated emergency protocols early on Friday, transferring key units to fortified spaces.
In central Israel, Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital cleared its Sami Ofer parking area to begin operating its underground emergency facility as part of a pre-established emergency plan.
Emergency status
Israel has declared a special emergency status across the civilian front, citing concerns over a possible imminent missile and drone assault from Iran.
Citizens were instructed to remain near bomb shelters, while schools were closed nationwide and Israeli airspace was temporarily shut down.
Air raid sirens sounded across the country as Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strikes and warned that a retaliatory attack was likely in the immediate term.
He declared a special state of emergency nationwide.
The Israeli air strikes, launched early on Friday, reportedly targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, setting off explosions in Tehran.
Iranian state media claimed the attack killed the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and several top nuclear scientists.
The strikes mark a serious escalation in the long-standing shadow war between Israel and Iran, threatening to push the conflict into a broader regional confrontation.
