The last 'safe place' in Israel: Volunteers transform abandoned station into atomic shelter

Volunteers in Tel Aviv, Israel, have taken the extraordinary step of preparing a citywide “atomic shelter” at the Central Bus Station, an ageing, reinforced underground facility, as Iran continues its missile campaign across Israel.

Spearheaded by civil society groups like “Brothers and Sisters in Arms,” the initiative aims to ensure "that everybody will be safe".

According to a social activist, Shula Keshet, the abandoned bus station is "the only place in Israel that has a shelter against atomic bombs. It's in a very terrible place, by the way."

The shelter, originally opened during the Gulf War in 1991, can accommodate up to 16,000 people.

"Surrounding this place, [are] citizens and people, families, Israelis or non-Israelis, immigrant workers, asylum seekers, etc., [who] did not have any place to go," Shula Keshet added.

Protests erupted in Tehran and several other cities following Friday prayers, with demonstrators voicing support for their leaders, as broadcast by state television. One protester's banner read, “I will sacrifice my life for my leader,” about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Israeli authorities, 25 people have been killed in Israel due to Iranian missile strikes since June 13. In response, Iran reported on Sunday, June 15, that Israeli airstrikes have resulted in at least 224 deaths, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.