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Updated 6 March 2026 - Israel has begun lifting emergency measures as Iranian retaliatory attacks decrease, though military operations against Iran and Hezbollah continue.
Daily life resumes under persistent air raid alerts
Six days into the conflict, Israel has relaxed restrictions on public gatherings and business operations. While air raid sirens still force residents into shelters, many shops and offices have reopened. Chaya Dekel, a 70-year-old resident, reflected on the country's repeated wars: "We're living here with hope for an end. Everyone in Israel wants peace with our neighbors."
Despite the fatigue, Dekel defended the military campaign, arguing Iran "didn't want peace."
Overwhelming public support for the war
A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found 93% of Jewish Israelis back the conflict, compared to 26% of Israeli Arabs. Tamar Hermann, a senior research fellow, called the consensus unprecedented, even during prior Iran operations. She attributed the support to minimal domestic damage-only 10 deaths nationwide-thanks to Israel's multi-layered air defenses, which officials say intercepted 80-90% of incoming projectiles.
Trust in the military and intelligence services has rebounded after the failures surrounding Hamas's October 2023 attacks. Hermann also noted the long-standing perception of Iran as an "existential threat," a narrative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reinforced for decades.
Netanyahu's long-standing Iran stance
From his 1995 book Fighting Terrorism to a 2012 UN speech featuring a bomb illustration, Netanyahu has framed Iran as a nuclear danger requiring preemptive action. Last June, he ordered strikes that crippled Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, drawing the U.S. into what became known as the 12-Day War. The operation was hailed as a success in Israel, bolstering military support.
This year, Iran's brutal crackdown on anti-government protests-killing thousands-exposed regime vulnerabilities. With Iran's defenses weakened and proxies like Hezbollah under pressure, Israel and the U.S. seized the opportunity to escalate. President Donald Trump deployed the largest U.S. military force to the region since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Neither Netanyahu nor Trump has clearly defined the immediate threat justifying the strikes or their objectives. Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have suggested regime change in Iran as a goal. However, analysts call this unlikely, even after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike on his Tehran compound.
Divided international reactions
In the U.S., support for Israel has plummeted since the Gaza war, with only 25% backing strikes on Iran, per a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Critics warn the conflict could further damage Israel's global standing. Domestically, however, opposition remains muted. A majority of Jewish Israelis-57%, according to the Israel Democracy Institute-believe bombing should continue until Iran's current rulers are ousted.
"Israelis see the Iranian people sharing this goal... They believe this is the opportunity to achieve it with Israeli and American air power and Iranian ground support."
Meir Javedanfar, Israeli-Iranian analyst at Reichman University
Javedanfar cautioned that Israelis may underestimate the challenges of regime change.
Fatigue and militarism
Many Israelis express weariness after years of turmoil: judicial reforms, the October 2023 Hamas attacks, and now the Lebanon and Iran conflicts. Tom Dan, emerging from a shelter, acknowledged the strain but called the war a "good cause," citing Iran's hostility. Rut Spigler, a 19-year-old volunteer cleaning a Tel Aviv missile site, echoed the sentiment: "The times Israel united most were during wars with Iran. Maybe this will be the last one."
Yet a minority questions the war's justification. Ron, a Tel Aviv café owner who withheld his full name, criticized Israel's role: "We're not the world's police. There's no legal right to attack a distant nation."
Hermann warned of growing militarism, particularly on the radical right, which views force as a defining trait of Israeli identity. "They dismiss diplomacy as ineffective against existential threats," she said.
Uncertain path forward
Netanyahu has framed the war as a gateway to unprecedented peace, dismissing claims he dragged the U.S. into the conflict as "ridiculous." However, with no clear exit strategy and Iran's leadership decapitated but not defeated, the region faces prolonged instability. For now, Israelis cling to hope-even as the sirens continue.
