Metropolitan Tel Aviv absorbed at least five missiles in the first half of Wednesday, with the Color Red incoming rocket alert siren wailing through the streets.
Loud blasts that followed made it clear the Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted all five threats to the general population.
But as a Home Front Command official noted with a measure of exasperation in an interview on Israeli radio Wednesday morning, people in the “White City” simple weren’t relating to the danger and remained on the streets.
Defense officials were out during one attack inspecting facilities, and were amazed and concerned at what they saw on Tuesday.
Amid ongoing rocket fire onto central Israel, people in Tel Aviv watched the World Cup Semi Final games screened at the Sarona center, shortly after Code Red sirens were sounded in the region.
“Some just don’t seem to care, some said they didn’t have shelters in their homes, some said the public shelters were locked and others said there were no shelters at all in their neighborhoods,” the official said.
“This is an impossible situation and one that must stop immediately. It is extremely dangerous.”
Missiles that were intercepted at midday exploded above Tel Aviv itself, and above Ben Gurion International Airport, which is on alert.
Late Tuesday night, Hamas terrorists fired the new Syrian-made M302 missile towards Haifa – but it only reached as far as Hadera, 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Gaza. The missile, which weighs 120 kilograms, has an approximate range of 100 kilometers (62 – 65 miles.)
The Iron Dome anti-missile system has thus far intercepted 45 missiles at a cost of $50,000 per interceptor.