The Same War, on a Loop

"In Israel these days, unless your apartment has a blast-resistant room, it's best to go to bed in something that you're comfortable wearing in a bomb shelter. Your phone is likely to wake you with the clatter of an alert for incoming missiles: First comes a text message that says to be near a protected area. Several minutes later, a second screech brings a message to take cover."

"The government has approved the reopening of workplaces that have shelters, but most children are home, attending school online. This is a burden for all parents, but particularly for those who are single or whose partner has been called up for reserve duty."

"In our lives, the current war has gone on for two and a half years, with intermissions just long enough to raise hope of normalcy that is shattered when fighting resumes. This morning's siren is a replay of June's siren, and the siren of autumn 2024, and that of autumn 2023. This is not a new war. It is the same war on a loop of exhaustion, adrenaline, and worry for your children."

Israeli civilians endure constant missile threats requiring blast-resistant preparations and repeated alert responses throughout days and nights. Schools operate remotely, creating hardship for parents, particularly single parents and those with partners in reserve duty. Major cities like Tel Aviv experience frequent attacks, with underground transit stations converted to bomb shelters. The conflict extends across multiple fronts, including renewed Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon. Rather than a new conflict, this represents a continuous war spanning two and a half years with temporary pauses that create false hope before fighting resumes, leaving residents trapped in cycles of exhaustion, adrenaline, and anxiety for their families.

Read at The Atlantic