'Harder Than Death': Iran's Psychological Warfare And Israel's Preparations (image @Defensa_Israel)

Israel is anticipating a bigger and direct attack from Iran. Israelis are at the edge, fearing attacks from directions unforeseen, as Iran and Hezbollah – Iran aligned Lebanese group – pledged retaliation for the assassination of Hezbollah commander and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. Iran has been reiterating its promise to strike back at Israel, but no major attacks materialised yet. West, including US, has also been on high alert if Israel is to be attacked. Washington has been sending munitions and war ships to the region to aid Israel.

Israeli citizens are advised not to wander off and stay close to bomb shelters. People are asked to stack up food and water in the safe rooms, and hospitals are prepared to move patients to underground wards. Search and rescue teams position themselves in major cities. Israeli media reported that Shin Bet, the security agency in Israel, is preparing bunker for the officials to take shelter during the attack.

The preparation includes stocking blood supplies in fortified underground centres, relocating hazardous materials from factories, and conducting thorough checks of bomb shelters and water supplies.

Also Read: Israel Opens Underground Bunker For Officials Amidst Regional War Threats: Report

Media report said Israel hospitals and being equipped with facilities underground. The Ramban hospital in Haifa said it is well equipped to withstand not only aerial attack, but biological and chemical attacks, said WION.  Museums in Israel are also preparing for the attack by stashing away valuable artworks.

This has been the situation last April when Iran vowed to avenge the killing of Iranian diplomat in its consulate in Damascus. Iran took it time to strike back at Israel. Tehran launched nearly 300 ballistic missiles and drones at Tel Aviv, most of which were intercepted.

Since 1990s Israel has built defence apparatus like bomb shelters and bunkers to protect citizens from aerial attacks. Reportedly, there are laws in Israel that require built in bomb shelters in houses and apartments.

Over 65 percent of Israelis have bomb shelters in their homes, or nearby places. These shelters are constructed from reinforced concrete with heavy metal doors and are designed to withstand blasts and shrapnel from missile attacks, said Wall Street Journal. The shelters are built in such a way that it would remain unscathed even if the whole building collapsed.

Also Read: How Iran, Israel, And US Is Preparing For A Regional War In West Asia

There are over 168 underground public bomb shelters and a total of 356 shelters when including those in educational institutions and other municipal buildings in Israel. These shelters are equipped with basic amenities such as bathrooms, kitchens, showers, and air-filtration systems, as per the report.

Someone asked what my “bomb shelter” is….

So without further adieu here is the grand tour of my bomb shelter for when Hamas rains missiles on us and/or makes a house call to slit my children’s throats. pic.twitter.com/pc5e5YbsVc

— Mordy Oberstein *currently not indexed* (@MordyOberstein) October 17, 2023

‘US is trying to buy more time for Israel’

At the same time, US, the closest ally of Israel is accused of trying to buy more time for Israel, as it prepares. While US Secretary of State visited Tel Aviv for nth time recently, to have conversation regarding Gaza ceasefire, Washington has sent another guided missile submarine to the region, anticipating wider war. America’s Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, said US would “take every possible step” to defend its ally.

Hamas accused US of “merely buying time for Israel to continue its genocide” by proposing an amended accord.

The Palestinian resistance group has agreed with the three-phased ceasefire deal proposed by US President Joe Biden in last May, and was backed by United Nation.

“The Israelis have retreated from issues included in Biden’s proposal. Netanyahu’s talk about agreeing to an updated proposal indicates that the US administration has failed to convince him to accept the previous agreement,” Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera.

Iran’s psychological warfare

Iran and its allies are being closely monitored by Israel and its Western allies, hoping to read out what its next move will be. While Iran continue to vow retaliation, seeking to avenge the assassination of Hamas political chief, Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur in Beirut, none such promised attack materialized.

Also Read: Avenging Ismail Haniyeh’s Death Is Tehran’s Duty: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Reports suggest that Iran is holding up a psychological war tactics by delaying the heavily anticipated attack. Iran also said that even the Gaza ceasefire talk is ‘unrelated’ to its retaliation plans, despite previously stating that a ceasefire would halt their attack.

There is an “uproar” in Israel amid fears of an imminent Iranian attack. They are “waiting day and night for Iran’s response”, and that is “harder than waiting for one’s death”, said Ali Fadavi, the Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as quoted by Iran International.

According to Iranian state media, there could be a long wait for retaliation against Israel, as said by Ali-Mohammad Naini, the spokesperson for the IRGC. Naini is known for his psychological warfare and soft war tactics. He also said that delaying the attack is part of stoking psychological terror among the Israelis.

Meital Brown, an Israeli resident, told Iran International that the mood is stressful and that she feels like she’s “stuck in a bad feeling that’s not ending”. She said for over a week, she and her kids did not leave their house in fear of the said imminent attacks.