'Preparing for attempts of terrorist infiltration': Standby squads on high alert, esp. in north

At the peak of waiting for Iran, Hezbollah, and terrorist organizations' responses to the recent assassinations, emergency standby squads across the country, especially in the north, are at their highest alert.

“Our eyes are on the ground, not on the sky,” security officials in northern communities say, “We are preparing for attempts of terrorist infiltration and unexpected scenarios.”

Emergency standby squads are increasing their levels of preparedness for various scenarios, especially for scenarios involving attempts at terrorist infiltration alongside missile attacks, drones, and other threats.

In the “Hineni” (Hebrew for “here I am”) forum, which includes hundreds of emergency standby squads, people are working around the clock, more so in recent days due to the continuously rising tensions and anticipation of a response from Iran and its affiliates.

The defense forces focused their preparations on the northern sector against Hezbollah; however, communities near the border in the east, which are very close to Palestinian areas where security threats and attempts at attacks occur almost daily, were also included in the preparations.

Emergency standby squads tackle fires and security threats

Most northern communities are evacuated, but members of emergency standby squads are an integral part of dealing with the consequences of the relentless firing from Lebanon and the numerous fires caused by it, and they assist as much as possible with firefighting and rescue efforts.

A member of an emergency standby squad from one of the communities near the northern border fence said, “The relentless fire from Lebanon since the beginning of the war, the severe damage to settlements, and the fires that break out daily do not confuse us. We are prepared to defend the settlements from terrorist infiltration even during missile attacks, especially in these days.”

The Hineni forum urges all emergency standby squads and the public to increase their vigilance in cities in the center and across the country due to the rise in security threats. Moreover, the forum demanded that the police intensify enforcement against suspicious individuals who pose an immediate risk of attacks.