The University of Haifa is preparing for an expected escalation in hostilities between Israel and Lebanon’s Iranian proxy, Hezbollah — and further south, so is the Port of Ashdod.
“Following the Hezbollah attack on Majdal Shams and the fear of escalation, it was decided to exercise extra caution and permit all employees who work above the fifth floor in the Eshkol Tower to work from home,” the university announced Sunday.
For context, the first three floors of the Eshkol Tower are located underground; the entrance to the building is on the fourth floor, which is the ground floor.
University of Haifa has a large and diverse student body which includes many members of the Druze community, among others. Those students are in mourning following a Hezbollah rocket attack Saturday that killed 12 children and wounded around 30 others in the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in Israel’s Golan Heights.
“It was also decided to postpone the certificate awarding ceremonies that were due to take place today,” the university added. “Unfortunately, these times are not appropriate for ceremonies and celebrations.” Exams and academic activities took place as usual.
Israel’s Education Ministry has already notified border communities in northern Israel that the school year for their classes will not start on time this September.
Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center has already transformed its underground parking lot in a massive emergency medicine center, complete with operating rooms, triage areas, delivery rooms and a neonatal unit as part of the preparations for war.
And in the south, Israel’s Ministry of Transportation announced that because of the continuing danger from Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Port of Ashdod and the Port of the South (also located in Ashdod) are being prepared to serve as alternative ports to those in the North, particularly Haifa.
“Israel’s seaports, like the airports, are a strategic target of our enemy but also Essential infrastructure facilities that Israel cannot operate without for even a single day,” Transportation and Road Safety Ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken told reporters during a tour of the ports.
“We must ensure a particularly high level of preparedness at the country’s strategic transportation junctions with an emphasis on energy independence and logistic solutions in any emergency situation.”
Earlier this month, multiple airlines canceled flights to and from Lebanon, and nearly a dozen countries urged their citizens to leave the country “while they still can.”
On Sunday, the foreign ministries of France, Norway and Belgium joined that list, urging their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. There are now 14 countries from around the world issuing travel warnings against Lebanon.
