No need to open bomb shelters, mayor says

Nahariya Mayor Jackie Sabag tells residents not to panic over the rocket fire, as leaders try to telegraph calm amid spiraling tensions.

“We are used to situations like this and at the end of a situational assessment we went right back to our routine. I ask residents to pay attention to updates but to continue going about their normal lives. Right now, there is no need to open bomb shelters and if there is a need we will do so immediately,” he says, according to news site NRG.

The head of the Metula Regional Council on Israel’s northern border also tells citizens to keep calm despite increased tensions along the frontier with Lebanon.

“By us things are continuing as normal and we are following developments and are in touch with security officials,” he says in a message to residents.

One group that is apparently reacting to the increase in violence is UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, which has upped patrols along the buffer zone separating Israel from Lebanon, according to a Lebanese media report.