Hezbollah has ramped up its rocket attacks on Israel, launching medium-range missiles capable of hitting targets up to 100 kilometers away. These strikes are affecting areas that had previously been spared from such aggression from Lebanon.

In a kibbutz in Yagur, near Haifa and just 60 kilometers from the Lebanese border, NRK's correspondent meets Norwegian Kari Smith. She is worried for her children and grandchildren living in the region. She describes an ever-present tension in the air.

"A bomb will fall in one minute," she adds, referring to real-time alerts.

– "We experience increasing tension through what we see and hear on television and the messages we receive from the kibbutz and the military. We are currently at alert level three. That means all schools are closed, and everyone is staying home in their bomb shelters."

Smith shares how the frequency of explosions has noticeably increased. An app on her phone alerts her to nearby attacks, and she shows a notification indicating a bomb will land imminently.

– "It feels safer here. People in Lebanon don't have what we have; they don’t share the same security."

Before the recent attacks, Smith said everyone in the area had a gut feeling that something was about to happen.

– "I went to bed, slept for about an hour, and woke up around midnight. I sensed that something was off. The tension was palpable."

Maintaining composure is crucial

Smith resides in an older house that lacks a proper bomb shelter. During air raids, she usually retreats to her bedroom, the innermost room in her home. On the night of the recent escalation, she was picked up by her son, who lives in a newer building with better protection.

– "But there was no sleep for me. Even though the sirens weren’t going off here, we heard them all around us."

As the night progressed, they also heard the sounds of explosions.

– "It was likely the sound of anti-aircraft fire. This went on for most of the night."

Smith describes the night as painful and taxing.

– "We don’t get warnings from Hezbollah about when they are going to attack or when we need to flee. There are millions of us waiting around bomb shelters, with nowhere to go."

– "It’s heavy, but I’m far from panicking. I’ve come to terms with the fact that whatever is happening, will happen. I’ve entered that mindset now," says Kari Smith.

The situation remains tense, and concerns grow not only for personal safety but for the broader implications of the conflict. With the potential for more extensive military engagement, civilians like Smith find themselves caught in a precarious position, relying on apps, alerts, and their instinct to navigate a reality marked by uncertainty and fear.