Street Views of Israel and Iraq Amid Tensions in the Middle East
2024-08-10
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Xinhua News Agency, Jerusalem/Tehran, August 10 (Reporter Chen Junqing, Wang Zhuolun, Shadati) Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), was assassinated in Iran on July 31. The day before, Israel launched an airstrike on a Hezbollah target in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing Hezbollah senior military commander Fuad Shukur and several civilians.
Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate against Israel, raising concerns that a large-scale conflict is imminent. Amid the tense situation, Xinhua reporters took to the streets of Israel and Iran to explore the impact on local social life.
Israel: Life is in order and emergency rescue forces are deployed
The Israelis have been in a "state of war" for a long time. They seem to be accustomed to possible conflicts, but are tired of the protracted war.
In most cities in Israel, public transportation such as railways is still operating normally, shopping malls, markets, and restaurants continue to be open, and supermarkets have sufficient supplies of meat, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits, and prices are stable.
The beach in Tel Aviv, Israel's economic center, is still crowded with summer travelers. An Israeli who runs a beverage store told reporters that the number of people and customers on the street has obviously decreased, and most people are not afraid, but are tired of the war.
This is a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inspecting the troops on July 19. Xinhua News Agency (Photo provided by the Israeli Government Press Office)
The reporter visited Haifa, a major military and industrial city in northern Israel. Hezbollah in Lebanon has repeatedly threatened to attack local military and important civilian facilities. The two largest hotels in Haifa are currently almost fully booked, and the hotel guests are mainly media personnel who are looking for "hot news" and residents who have moved from the northern border of Israel.
Overlooking the Haifa Port from the hotel room, you can see Israeli naval ships and submarines cruising on the sea and in the port, and several ships equipped with the "Iron Dome" defense system are anchored in the sea near the port.
The reporter met many families evacuated from Israel's northern border at the hotel. A father told the reporter that he and his family had been evacuated for nine months. Now, the grapes and grapefruits grown at home on the northern border are ripe, but he cannot go home, so he can only ask others to help pick them and bring them to the hotel to taste the "taste of home".
Currently, the Israel Defense Forces have deployed emergency rescue forces in major cities to respond to possible attacks from Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. A new public warning information system has been put into use, which can push alerts to mobile phones of users in affected areas when large-scale emergencies occur. Except for some towns on the border, most areas in Israel are still "green zones" with no restrictions on crowd activities or gathering sizes.
Iran: Security measures strengthened, anti-Israel and anti-US sentiment on the rise
Since Haniyeh's assassination, the Iranian government has stepped up security measures. Temporary checkpoints have been added to the streets of the capital Tehran, and the number of patrol security personnel has also increased. Overall, anti-Israel and anti-American sentiment among local people is high.
On the day Haniyeh was killed, Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, Kerman and other major cities held rallies and marches to condemn the assassination and express support for Palestine. Iranians expressed anger at the silence and double standards of the West, chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans, and demanded justice and accountability.
Ismail Haniya (center) was photographed in Tehran, Iran on July 30. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shadati
Iran held a funeral for Haniyeh on August 1. As the hearse set out from Tehran University and slowly drove toward Azadi Square in the center of Tehran, tens of thousands of people lined up on the road in front of Tehran University to bid farewell to Haniyeh. People waved Iranian and Palestinian flags and shouted slogans condemning Israel and the United States.
Tehran residents interviewed by reporters on the streets said that the assassination was a "terrorist act that will be punished." Citizen Reizai said that the assassination violated Iran's sovereignty and the Iranian government should respond appropriately to Israel.
Iranian Mahjo said that Haniyeh's "sacrifice" in Tehran was an extremely sad event, and "I believe that the planners and implementers behind it will eventually be punished."
People of both countries: eager to return to normal life
Under the shadow of war, although the mentality of the people of the two countries is different, many people have the same urgent expectation to end the current abnormal life as soon as possible.
A woman who runs a beverage store in Tel Aviv told reporters that her beverage store is close to the Mediterranean Sea, and the surveillance camera in the store recorded a drone attack by the Yemeni Houthi armed forces on coastal buildings in Tel Aviv. "I still insist on opening the store every day because I don't want my life to be affected, but if the war continues, more and more people will leave here."
On July 25, Israeli citizens held a rally in Tel Aviv, demanding that the government reach an agreement with the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as soon as possible, achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release the detained persons as soon as possible. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Jamal Awad)
In the square opposite the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, anti-war activists often hold rallies to call for a ceasefire and the release of detainees as soon as possible. A young man selling coffee told reporters: "I will join the army next year, but I don't want the war to continue. It's hard to see the families of the detainees every day. It's time to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza."
Since the outbreak of the new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tourists in the Old City of Jerusalem have almost disappeared, and many shops can only barely maintain business. A man who grew up in the area complained to reporters: the Old City, which used to be crowded with tourists, is now deserted. Without tourists and income, how long will this heartbreaking situation last?
In Tehran, many ordinary people who have experienced funeral after funeral are also looking forward to returning to normal life. Some people said that they do not want Iran to be further involved in the already mired Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and hope that the government can devote more energy to solving domestic problems.
