Hebrew-language outlets, including Haaretz and +972 Magazine, reported that Israeli fear of Iranian missiles has become a permanent reality and that Tel Aviv’s population is now confronting the same devastation they inflicted on Gaza.
In a detailed analysis, Haaretz outlined how Israel lost control of the conflict and how the scars of Iran’s retaliatory campaign will remain embedded in the psyche of illegal Israeli settlers. The report emphasized that Israelis now see in their own ruined neighborhoods a reflection of the destruction they caused in Gaza.
“It is time to pause and consider the suffering of Israelis who have paid the price for this war,” Haaretz wrote. “When one sees what Tel Aviv looks like today, it becomes evident why the wars that have devastated the Middle East must come to an end.”
The paper added that while Israelis have grown accustomed to air raid sirens and previous conflicts, the war with Iran was of a different scale. “The first Iranian missile didn’t just hit Tel Aviv—it struck the heart of Israeli collective identity. It proved that Israel is no longer immune.”
The attacks reportedly targeted multiple cities including Ramat Gan and Tamra, with such intensity that even Israeli analysts admitted the gap between Israeli cities and Gaza has all but disappeared. “Scenes from Tel Aviv now resemble what we’ve long seen in Beit Lahia and Gaza City,” Haaretz reported. “Only now can Israelis grasp what it means to have 1.5 tons of explosives dropped on them.”
The Times of Israel meanwhile questioned how prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost control so abruptly, particularly after US President Donald Trump lashed out at him following America’s strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. The paper reported that while Iran’s nuclear program may have been disrupted, it remains intact—and Trump’s call for ceasefire left Israeli officials disoriented.
+972 Magazine echoed the bleak outlook, dismissing Netanyahu’s claim that he had neutralized an existential threat. “These are hollow declarations,” the report said. “The Israeli public, dragged through endless wars, will not regain the illusion of safety.”
It concluded that although the ceasefire may provide temporary relief, the psychological collapse is irreversible. “The era of Israeli invincibility is over. The Iron Dome may intercept missiles—but it cannot shield a nation from the consequences of its own actions.”