Israel Declares Nationwide State of Emergency Amid Anticipated Iranian Retaliation

Israel entered a nationwide state of emergency on 28/02/2026 following coordinated pre-emptive airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel against Iranian military and nuclear targets. As the strikes were carried out and Iranian retaliation was anticipated, the Israeli government activated large-scale emergency and defense measures across the country. Authorities warned of possible missile and drone attacks from Iran and from allied groups across the region, prompting immediate mobilization of military forces, civil defense systems, and emergency services. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated a major reservist call-up to reinforce operational units. Early reports indicated that between 20,000 and 70,000 reservists were mobilized to strengthen the Air Force, Navy, Intelligence Directorate, and Home Front Command. Subsequent updates suggested that the number of called-up personnel expanded to approximately 100,000 reservists, as the military sought to secure national borders and prepare for what officials described as possible “additional theaters of operation.” Troops were deployed along the borders with Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, areas where escalation involving armed groups aligned with Iran was considered possible. Israel’s multi-layered air defense network was placed on maximum readiness as authorities prepared for incoming missile and drone attacks. Systems designed to intercept threats at different ranges were activated nationwide, while government officials cautioned that no air defense system could provide complete protection. Civil defense alerts and shelter protocols were issued to the public through the Home Front Command as retaliatory strikes from Iran were expected. At the same time, extensive measures were introduced across the country’s healthcare and civilian infrastructure sectors. The Israeli Ministry of Health ordered hospitals to move patients into fortified underground facilities to reduce vulnerability to missile strikes. Parking complexes and protected underground structures were converted into emergency wards and treatment areas. At Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital in Israel, officials transferred approximately 2,000 hospital beds, including emergency departments and specialized units such as neurosurgery, into a reinforced underground parking complex prepared for wartime operations. Civil restrictions were also introduced as part of nationwide emergency protocols. The government banned large public gatherings, closed schools and workplaces, and shut down civilian airspace as precautionary measures. These steps were implemented to reduce risk to the population and allow emergency and defense systems to operate without interference during the heightened security situation.