Lina Altawell
05 May 2026•Update: 05 May 2026
Municipal authorities in Ashdod in southern Israel announced the reopening of public shelters on Tuesday amid concerns over a possible resumption of war with Iran.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth, citing the Ashdod Municipality, said the move was taken “in light of escalating security tensions.”
It said the opening of shelters was part of internal preparedness “without any change” in Israeli army instructions.
“We are not rushing, but we are on full alert,” Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich said.
He said that about 50,000 Israelis lack protected spaces in the area.
Tensions escalated in the Gulf on Monday, with the United Arab Emirates reporting a series of Iranian drone and missile attacks that injured three people.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Monday that any vessels violating transit protocols issued by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz "will be forcefully stopped."
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.
*Writing by Lina Altawell
