Haifa residents are watching warily for the sprawling industrial port that stretches on both sides of the Israeli city, fearing a massive explosion as they prepare for a bombardment by Hezbollah.
The historic city stretches down a steep hill to the harbor shore, a complex that houses Israel’s largest oil refinery, giant fuel tanks and other highly flammable items.
Haifa, about 30 kilometers (less than 20 miles) from the Lebanese border, has fresh memories of the war with Hezbollah in 2006, when the group’s rockets repeatedly hit the city, reducing homes to rubble and killing more than a dozen people.
Residents are also aware of the infamous Beirut port explosion that killed more than 220 people in August 2020, injured at least 6,500 and devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital.
Haifa is once again a target as Iran and its allies prepare for attacks following the killing of top officials of Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas last week.
“Of course it is a major concern, especially after what we saw at Beirut port four years ago,” long-time resident Patrice Wolff told AFP when asked about the possibility of a major explosion.
“We know how damaging an eruption from this area could be, so we’re very conscious of that. And we certainly hope it won’t be that bad.”
‘We’ve been so exposed’
Mount Carmel in Haifa offers panoramic views of the city, port, Israeli coast and the disputed border across northern Israel.
However, there have been repeated drone attacks in the region in recent times, leading to increased anxiety in the border region.
Residents of Haifa, a city of 280,000, are familiar with the process: If an air raid siren sounds, or a warning is received via smartphone, they have one minute to get to a bomb shelter or safe area.
Wolfe, 58, works for a medical supply company and sleeps with his phone near him in case he gets an alert.
“We are all very conscious of the risk and we know what to do if things go the wrong way. We have received instructions from civil defence on how to behave,” he said.
“We certainly hope it doesn’t get to this extent, but we are very vulnerable because we are in a direct line of sight from Lebanon.”
As tensions rise, the coastal city – which is home to Jews, Muslims and Christians – has seen a sharp drop in tourist numbers.
“There are fewer tourists coming now; there used to be a lot but now there are fewer. Business is slow,” said Nadia Abu Shaker of Hummus Abu Shaker, a popular restaurant near the port.
“Many people are scared and don’t come out of their homes, they don’t go anywhere,” he said.
However, the fear of attack does not bother Abu-Shakar, as she has faced Hezbollah attacks in 2006 as well as Iraqi missile attacks at home in 1991.
“I am not afraid. I live in Abu Shaker restaurant, near the port. If there is a war, I will not be afraid because I know God protects us,” she said.
‘We don’t trust them’
Many hotel rooms in Haifa are occupied by people from border areas who have been forced from their homes by Hezbollah shelling since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.
According to Leonid Reznik, head of emergency preparedness at the Haifa municipality, the city has carefully prepared for an attack, opening bomb shelters capable of holding thousands of people.
He said many of these shelters are underground car parks, where people can stay for several days and also have generators, WiFi, water and first aid facilities.
Kindergarten teachers will be deployed to larger shelters to keep younger children occupied, Reznik said.
He said a large underground facility is already in use at Haifa’s main hospital, where dead and wounded soldiers were housed during the 2006 war with Lebanon.
“As we wait for the response of the Iranians or Hezbollah, we understand that something will happen. They will not do anything. They will react in some way,” Reznik said.
“We hope there won’t be shootings in the city, but we understand some will occur.”
Assurances that some of the most explosive chemicals have been removed from the port do not reassure Andre Suidan, whose liquor store faces the complex.
“We don’t trust them. We don’t trust them that they did it (moved the chemicals there),” said a 57-year-old Haifa resident, describing the refinery’s appearance as “appalling”.
“People are totally impatient and they’re totally stressed. These are not normal times,” Suidan said.
“It’s affecting people on the street, it’s affecting people everywhere. Everybody is under extreme stress.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)