Following public concern sparked by reports about a warning from the Shin Bet chief regarding Eilat, the Shin Bet and the Eilat municipality issued a joint calming statement on Monday to clarify the background. According to the municipality, speaking on behalf of the security service, the Shin Bet chief visited Eilat several months ago as part of his early review of threats in different sectors after taking office. Part of that visit was conducted with the IDF and examined various operational preparations on the ground.
The Shin Bet said unequivocally that it has no specific information or concrete warning about a threat to the city. The agency said the visit was part of thorough operational planning and a broader study of threats across all of its areas of responsibility.
Mayor Eli Lankri welcomed the clarification, saying, “As the Shin Bet clarified, there is no concrete information about a new or immediate threat to Eilat.” He added that the city and all the security forces protecting it are prepared for any scenario. “Since October 7, painful and important lessons have been learned, so that the worst disaster in its history will not happen again anywhere in Israel,” he said. Lankri also said he holds regular meetings with all security agencies, warns about dangers from the eastern border, and believes Eilat is well protected thanks to a broad security envelope that was reinforced during the war.
Lankri used the occasion to urge the government not to rely only on military protection. He said national resilience must be built in advance, not after the fact, and argued that Eilat, as Israel’s southern gateway and a strategic city in a border triangle far from the center of the country, needs continued investment in security, health services, emergency infrastructure, and public services. He also sent a reassuring message to the hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers expected in the city, saying Eilat is operating normally, ready for tens of thousands of visitors in the coming days, and will continue coordinating with security officials to protect residents and guests.
