Israel at War

Personal Experience

The warning came around 8:00 on Saturday morning, February 28. It was not entirely a surprise. Even though only hours have passed, it feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed since then—for my family, for me, and for the world.

I am writing this from the air raid shelter on the ground floor of our apartment block. My wife and I live on the fourth floor, and we share this space with the thirteen other families in our building. Because trouble was expected, we had cleared the room and set out chairs in advance. We knew from experience that we would likely spend many hours in them, so we had our bags packed and ready for the eventuality.

As an early riser, I was physically prepared, but the initial warning was still a shock. We hurried down as soon as it triggered. Interestingly, the digital warning now precedes the actual air raid siren by a few minutes—likely facilitated by satellite surveillance. That extra window is a grace period; it truly helps people reach protection in time.

Inside, the shelter is a cross-section of our community: young families with toddlers alongside “senior” residents like myself. The resilience of Israelis remains extraordinary; most treat this as just another part of life here. The children played together happily, showing no outward signs of stress, though a few of the teenagers seemed less easygoing, perhaps more aware of the gravity of the situation.

The last 24 hours have been a relentless cycle—probably fifteen entries into the shelter throughout the day and once during the night. We just emerged from an early morning alarm at 8:00, and now we wait for the next.

Meanwhile, the geopolitical landscape has been upended: Iran’s leadership has been decapitated. I hope those in the West recognize this as a turning point for the better, regardless of their stance on Trump or Israel. Some will inevitably argue it was a violation of international law, but to those critics, I say: “Good luck with that.” The world has fundamentally changed.