Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Israel’s Underground Hospital On Standby Against Haifa Attacks

POSTED ON August 7, 2024 •   World      BY Benedicta Bassey
Israel’s Underground Hospital /Photo credit: NPR

Israel's underground hospital medical professionals are at work in a parking lot in Haifa on standby against any attack, northern Israel Reuters report.

Deep under the northern Israeli city of Haifa, there’s a vast underground hospital. Hundreds and hundreds of beds are lined up within its concrete walls.

There are operating theatres, a maternity ward, and medical supplies stacked up in corners. But there are no patients yet.
Rambam Medical Centre excavated this bunker after the Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006.

It’s normally a multi-storey car park but it can be converted into a hospital in less than three days.

It’s been on standby since shortly after the Hamas attacks of 7 October and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza.

The facility has more than 2,000 beds. In the event of a major attack on Israel, it would take in existing patients from the overground medical centre and other nearby hospitals. And there’s room too to treat injured casualties.

As the threat of an all-out regional war looms large following the killing of Hamas’ political leader Ismael Haniyeh and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr last week, doctors say they’re prepared for a major attack on Haifa.

"When, when, when is it going to happen? Nobody knows. We talk about it a lot," says Dr Avi Weissman, the medical director of the centre.

People, he adds, are anxious. He and his staff just hope that any escalation of violence doesn’t last long.

Dr Weissman says the threat of an attack preoccupies the minds of staff at the hospital

But Haifa’s proximity to Lebanon – and Hezbollah’s rockets – leaves it vulnerable.

One young couple met in the city centre described living with that threat.

"It’s like a ticking timebomb," says the woman. "Any minute now it could be an alarm. Will I die? Will I have time to go to my family?"

But in Haifa City Hall, a mayor admits to sleepless nights. Yono Yahav is in his eighties and the weight of responsibility hoods his eyes. He also ran the city during the 2006 war.

"I’m very sad about it," he said. "There is a fork in the Middle East. The leaders are only concerned with destruction, killing, fighting instead of building."

Haifa is a so-called "mixed city"; a place where a significant number of Israeli Arabs live alongside Israeli Jews. Mr Yahav says it’s a peaceful community, which makes the current conflict all the more painful.

READ ALSO
Trump Ban Nationals from 12 Countries amid Security Concerns
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

President Donald Trump has enacted a new proclamation prohibiting citizens from 12 nations from ente...

READ ALSO
Tinubu Honors Bill Gates with National Award for Global Philanthropy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 4, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - President Bola Tinubu commended Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and chairma...

READ ALSO
Bahrain, Colombia, DRC, Latvia, and Liberia Join UN Security Council for 2026-2027 Term
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 4, 2025 0

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected five new non-permanent members to the UN Security Council...

READ ALSO
60,000 Nigerians Abroad Register on Diaspora Data Mapping Portal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 3, 2025 0

Approximately 60,000 Nigerians residing overseas have registered on the Diaspora Data Mapping Portal...

READ ALSO
30 Confirmed Dead as Heavy Rains Batter Northeast India
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 1, 2025 0

Severe flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rainfall in India's northeast over the...

READ ALSO
China to Advocate for African Rights on Global Stage
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 31, 2025 0

The Chinese Counselor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shen Sha, has reiterated China's strong de...

READ ALSO
China-Africa Institute to Launch First Museum in China Celebrating African History and Culture
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 31, 2025 0

The China-Africa Institute, part of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has unveiled plans to cr...

READ ALSO
Botswana's Speaker Lauds China's Commitment to African Development
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 31, 2025 0

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has praised China for its de...

OUR CHANNELS:

Tanzania,  Nigeria Lead Africa in Rising Fraud Rates- Report
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

Tanzania and Nigeria have emerged as the leading countries in Africa for higher fraud rates, accordi...


Osun Raises Alarm Over Alleged Fund Diversion by CBN and AGF
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

OSUN, Nigeria - The Osun State Government has expressed concern about a purported attempt by the Cen...


Nigeria Police Link Schoolgirl Cannabis Clip to Zimbabwe
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

The Nigeria Police Force has addressed a widely circulated video on WhatsApp and social media, which...


Tinubu to Launch Multiple Development Projects Today in Kaduna
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

KADUNA, Nigeria - President Bola Tinubu is anticipated to arrive in Kaduna State today for the inaug...


Tinubu Assembles High-Level Committee After Benue Tragedy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu announced the formation of a committee on Wednesday aimed at restoring sustain...


Finidi George Leads Rivers United into 2025/26 Season Training Camp
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

Rivers United's coach, Finidi George, has motivated his players as the Port Harcourt-based team kick...


Moses Simon Completes Move to Paris FC for €7 Million
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 19, 2025 0

As reported by French news source Foot Mercato, Paris FC, a newly-promoted team in French Ligue 1, h...


Osimhen's Impressive Loan Spell Fuels Transfer Speculation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 21, 2025 0

Nigerian international Victor Osimhen remains at the center of significant transfer rumors, with Ita...


NDLEA Calls for Collective Action Against Drug Abuse in Nigeria
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 20, 2025 0

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has urged Nigerians and state governments to take r...


Tor Tiv Urges President Tinubu to Foster Lasting Peace in Benue State
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 19, 2025 0

The Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, expressed that President Bola Tinubu has the ability to bring lasti...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu