The low-level war continues with the risk of escalating into something much larger. If it comes to that, doctors at the largest underground hospital in Jerusalem say they will be ready. According to a report from Sky News, Israeli doctors are preparing for the worst beneath the city.
Within a bunker below Herzog Medical Center, the number of beds has been increased to 350, with an additional 100 beds to be added. Israeli doctor Yehzikel Kain stated from inside the facility that it is "designed to withstand biological and chemical attacks," and added, "We have a pressure-equilibrating room built with two separate sets of blast-proof doors."
Additionally, a new level of wards has been installed beneath the underground hospital, with the logistical floor removed to fit more beds and equipment, according to Kain. He indicated that the shelters would be activated if nearby frontline hospitals needed to evacuate, which he calls "planning for the worst scenarios like a comprehensive war with Hezbollah."
He noted, "Hospitals in the north will be overwhelmed with casualties and will themselves be targeted, and in that case, they will have to evacuate their patients to central Israel, as we did in the early weeks of the war in the south."
According to the Israeli doctor, the October 7 attack launched by Hamas and the barrage of rockets and drones fired by Iran earlier this month "changed everything for the people of Israel."
Above ground, Herzog Medical Center continues its operations, treating many Israelis suffering from post-traumatic stress due to the Gaza war. The report mentioned that "if Jerusalem itself comes under attack, the hospital can evacuate even the most vulnerable individuals to the shelters below within a few hours. The shelters can be sealed completely for 96 hours during what is called Noah's Ark procedures."
Herzog regularly trains its staff "in preparation for a reality that they hope will never come." Israel has launched one of its largest bombing operations against Lebanese Hezbollah so far, and the group responds by striking northern Israel and warning against any escalation.
