Sirens replace celebrations as Israelis head to shelters on religious holiday

Dizengoff Square, in Tel Aviv, is seen here on March 2. — Tal Shalev/CNN via CNN Newsource

By CNN Newsource

Updated

today at 4:22 PM

Published March 2, 2026 2:24 PM

By Tal Shalev, CNN

Tel Aviv (CNN) — In any other year, it would be almost impossible to move through Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square on the Jewish holiday of Purim. Costumed children and adults flood the streets, and music blasts from rooftop parties as residents party until dawn. It’s a holiday in which Tel Aviv, which proudly boasts it’s “the city that never stops,” lives up to its nickname.

This year, though, the square was quiet as the holiday began Monday evening. Since Israel and the United States launched their attack on Iran on Saturday, streets have been largely empty. A handful of people with partial costumes sat at outdoor cafes, looking out of place amongst closed shops and vacant sidewalks. Many of those who had ventured out of their homes were only catching moments of sun between the air raid sirens.

“If this was a normal Purim, you wouldn’t have been able to move here,” said Daphna Lustig, a writer in her 40s whose home overlooks the square. Then her phone buzzed with a Home Front Command alert. Within minutes, the square was deserted.

Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles toward Israel since Saturday, sending the public into shelters and safe rooms, some sharing underground spaces with strangers.

“There’s no sense of panic,” Lustig said. “Unlike in previous rounds, people know there’s time – they don’t jump up in fear. There’s a kind of routine, even though it’s depressing to call this a ‘routine.’”

For Israelis, the drill is familiar: Nearly two and a half years of conflict have made them accustomed to the sound of the sirens. Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel has faced rocket fire from Gaza and missiles from Hezbollah, as well as drones and ballistic missiles from Iran and the Houthis in Yemen.

“I feel calmer than during all the previous rounds,” said Robyn Isberg, originally from Boston, who was lounging in the square with two friends in their 20s. “The atmosphere is less grim. The last Iran war (in June 2025) was like a boot camp for us – we had to be ready in seconds, with a backpack, a portable charger, snacks, water. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve built resilience, or if it’s just become the new normal.”

The Israeli public is generally supportive of the military campaign, for now. A February poll by the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv-based think tank, found that 78% of Israelis consider Iran the most worrying public security issue, and 50.5% of those surveyed voiced support for an independent Israeli strike even if a nuclear agreement was reached between the US and Iran.

The prospect of renewed confrontation with Tehran had been building for weeks, ever since US President Donald Trump pledged support for Iran’s anti-government protesters in early January. This allowed Israelis to prepare physically as well as mentally.

Taylor Sanchez, who moved to Israel from Orlando, Florida two and a half years ago, said she had plans for Purim. Her costume was ready at home, and she was contemplating using it even with no celebrations going on, “just to walk around. We try to go outside whenever we can. We know where the shelters and safe places are.”

But Sophie Leb, also originally from Florida, said she had set up a tent for the night in the nearby Dizengoff Center mall. “This time, unlike previous rounds, we knew it was coming for weeks. It’s almost like – finally, at least the anxiety is over,” she said. Still, she added, there are mixed feelings. “My body reacts to every noise and sound. Training the body to get used to this situation is harsh.”

After more than two years of conflict, some Israelis say public frustration will grow if the war is prolonged. “At some point, I believe people will lose patience, like in the previous round, if they feel that the targets are starting to become less significant,” said San Bleicher, who lives in Tel Aviv.

“But for now though, I feel like this is a necessary war, a regional opportunity Israel had to seize. It feels correct and moving in the right direction.”