Many Israelis were seen flocking to underground parking lots as air raid sirens rang through the northern city of Haifa on Sunday (March 1).

With many Israelis living without a nearby shelter, they chose to relocate underground, allowing themselves a sense of security, as the threat of incoming retaliatory missiles from Iran remains.

"We're here because our house in Haifa doesn't have a bomb shelter, so it's a bit scary for us during Iranian war especially," said Haifa resident Lilit Karapetian.

For others, they prefer the company of their friends instead of being in a shelter alone.

"Well, I have a safe place in my house, but I don't feel really safe over there, so I decided to go here just to relax a little bit from all this war," says Haifa resident, Daniel Aedskiy, known to his friends as 'Danya'.

The strikes the United States and Israel launched as part of a large-scale assault on Saturday (February 28), killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, plunged the region into a conflict that, according to President Trump, aims to grant Iranians a chance to topple the regime.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

HAIFA, ISRAEL (MARCH 1, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RUSHING TO UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT SERVING SEEKING SHELTER

2. COUPLE POSING FOR CAMERA

3. PEOPLE IN PARKING LOT WITH TENTS

4. PEOPLE AT TABLE, TALKING, SHARING FOOD

5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) HAIFA RESIDENT LILIT KARAPETIAN 26, SAYING:

"We're here because our house in Haifa doesn't have a bomb shelter, so it's a bit scary for us during Iranian war especially. So we decided to just hang out with our friends, Danya, and then just, like, be safe, because the sense when you wake up and you hear the siren sound on your phone and you don't have to go anywhere is the best."

6. LILIT AND FRIENDS AT TABLE

7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) HAIFA RESIDENT DANIEL AEDSKIY 26, SAYING:

"Well, I have a safe place in my house, but I don't feel really safe over there, so I decided to go here just to relax a little bit from all this war."

8. LILIT AND FRIENDS AT TABLE

9. (SOUNDBITE)(English) HAIFA RESIDENT LILIT KARAPETIAN 26, SAYING:

"I think I love Israel now. I feel like it's my home now here. And I just, as you see, I try to, like, have fun during the wartime, so I'm now Israeli. So yeah, I just love it here."

10. LILIT AND FRIENDS WAVING