Middle East on edge as Israel and allies anticipate retaliation from Iran

The White House said Monday that the U.S. and Israel believe Iran and its proxies across the region could launch a significant attack in the coming days. The U.S. accelerated the deployment of forces to the region to try and deter Iran and defend Israel despite simultaneous diplomatic attempts to prevent an attack. Nick Schifrin reports. A warning, some images in this story are graphic.

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Geoff Bennett: The White House said today that the U.S. and Israel believe Iran and its proxies across the region could launch a significant attack in the coming days. Israel says it’s on peak readiness. And the U.S. accelerated the deployment of forces to the region to try and deter Iran and defend Israel. That’s despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent an attack.

Our story tonight starts in the Israeli city of Haifa.

And a warning, some scenes of war in this story are graphic.

Nick Schifrin: In 10 months of war, Israel’s third largest city and its largest port have emerged untouched. But, today, Haifa and Israel are worried an attack could come at any point, which is why Haifa’s emergency preparedness chief, Leo Reznik, works from a bomb shelter.

They have been on high alert for the past 10 days after Israel assassinated a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion after this event in Tehran.

Leonid Reznik, Haifa Emergency Preparedness Chief: We are waiting for something to happen. We are waiting for Iranian or Hezbollah to shoot.

Nick Schifrin: In June, Hezbollah made its threat to Haifa’s port explicit, posting drone video above an Israeli naval base. Thanks to Iranian support, Hezbollah has more than 150,000 rockets and missiles that can reach 95 percent of Israel. Israel is not ready for a possible onslaught.

Leonid Reznik: The biggest challenge today, I think, that they — we don’t have enough bomb shelters to all the citizens.

Nick Schifrin: Which is why the Rambam Hospital is taking no chances. It has moved 2,000 beds, three stories below street level to its underground garage.

Avi Weissman is the hospital’s deputy director.

Avi Weissman, Deputy Director, Rambam Hospital: So, look up, oxygen line, warm water, cold water, suction, everything that doesn’t exist in a regular garage. This is a hospital floor.

Nick Schifrin: It has a fully functional emergency room with an operating theater to deal with the kinds of injuries they fear are coming.

Avi Weissman: So, we mainly prepare for conventional war, so missiles hit, shrapnel, direct hit, regular trauma, war trauma.

Nick Schifrin: The hospital is equipped to last one week without resupply and plans to host families, if necessary.

Avi Weissman: If we come down here and it’s like terrible outside, it’s bombing and bombing, we could close doors and not need to open them at all for 72 hours. We have enough water, food, oxygen, energy.

Nick Schifrin: To help defend Israel and try to deter Iran, this weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a rare announcement that he had deployed a guided missile submarine, the USS Georgia, to the Middle East, and accelerated the deployment of the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby spoke to reporters today.

John Kirby, NSC Coordinator For Strategic Communications: We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks, which is why we have increased our force posture and capabilities in the region even in just the last few days.

Nick Schifrin: The Biden administration believes the best way to calm regional tension is a Gaza cease-fire that would release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The U.S., alongside mediators Qatar and Egypt, have called for formal cease-fire talks to resume on Thursday, but it’s not clear whether Hamas will show up. But until there’s a cease-fire in Gaza, the Israeli military continues a new campaign against Hamas in the south, and too late for the woman who had hoped to shield a child.

Fatia Hassan’s heartbreak turned to rage, among those killed today, her nephew.

Fatia Hassan, Aunt of Victim: My nephew’s brain was hanging out of his head. Where is the humanity? We are dying. We’re dying. We are dying every minute, every second. Where is the humanity?

Nick Schifrin: A wave of humanity today evacuated yet again, tens of thousands in Khan Yunis and an area designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone urged to flee by Israeli leaflets, the fourth evacuation order issued this month. Israel accused Hamas of hiding within the population to fire rockets.

Israel also says the school-turned-shelter struck this weekend killed more than 30 terrorists. Palestinians say nearly 100 died as they prayed.

For the PBS “News Hour,” I’m Nick Schifrin.