Israel boosts defenses amid tensions with Iran: What are Israel's sensitive sites?

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israel remains vigilant in maintaining its defensive forces from the far north to the deep south, despite reports suggesting that the recent ship hijacking incident involving an Israeli-owned vessel affiliated with the Ofer Network could be Iran's response to the consulate attack in Damascus.

Israel has intensified its defenses at military and strategic sensitive sites, amid reports indicating Iran's intentions to target them away from civilian areas.

It has become clear that Israel's response to any Iranian strike will depend on the outcome of the strike and the location targeted, especially if it is a strategically sensitive one, even if it does not cause civilian casualties.

So, what are these sensitive sites?

Firstly, air force bases, where US Central Command chief, Eric Corella, began his talks. Some of these bases serve as wide-range monitoring centers, like the Meron Air Base in the north, responsible for organizing, coordinating, and managing all aerial operations towards Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and the northern part of the Eastern Mediterranean.

- Targeting central power grids could disrupt all electrical systems and destroy information systems and telephone networks.

- Striking nuclear reactors is excluded to Israelis as it could trigger a regional war.

- Gas fields could also be potential targets; hitting one of the fields like the Karish field could cause significant losses, especially as Tel Aviv allocated $1 billion with the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation to protect these fields.

However, Israel is preparing for a strike that may come directly from Iran or its proxies in Syria, Lebanon, and other countries. It anticipates the targeting of the Golan Heights and the surrounding area, where its regular and secret military bases and weapon depots are located.

The military recently cleared at least a thousand landmines in the area, not only as preparation for the possible use of this space in the event of war but also to avoid any rocket falls, which could lead to widespread explosions.

As for the port of Haifa, it represents a central target, but its targeting is difficult as it could result in civilian casualties and ignite dangerous materials extending to the Haifa Bay, where oil refineries and chemical substances are located.

While the strategic and military sites targeted by Iran's response are numerous, diplomatic efforts are underway to minimize the damage in the ongoing account between Tehran and Tel Aviv, without a clear winner or loser.