Haifa reeling as Iranian strikes, cyberattacks overwhelm Israel's defenses

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

After Israel's missile defense systems failed to intercept more than 10% of the Iranian ballistic missiles—strikes that turned large areas from Haifa to the central region and down to the south into disaster zones—the country is now facing an unprecedented wave of cyberattacks that have disrupted the functionality of its air raid siren systems.

According to a cybersecurity firm, these attacks have increased by 700% since the start of the war and are being carried out by Iran and affiliated hacker groups. A new factor in this war is the failure of several defense systems.

Israeli officials say the issue stems from the Spike missile system falling into Iranian hands. It was reportedly left behind by a Mossad commando team during an operation in Tehran on the first day of the war, in the building where they had been preparing for the strike.

Critical infrastructure sites also appear to have been breached, prompting Israeli authorities to declare a state of high alert.

While Israel described Monday morning's missile barrage as "qualitative," experts say the urban layout of Tel Aviv—where residential buildings stand near security and military facilities, including the Ministry of Defense—puts civilians at greater risk.

Even the slightest deviation in the trajectory of a ballistic missile can turn densely populated areas into targets for massive explosives capable of penetrating shelters not designed for such attacks.

As for Haifa, the scale of the strikes and resulting fires—from the bay to the port and the city's oil refinery—has left nearly 250,000 Israelis, according to local civil organizations, effectively living inside what they describe as a ticking bomb.