Settlers as human shields: Israel's militarization of civilian areas in Tel Aviv and Haifa

By Press TV Staff Writer

The recent Iranian retaliatory strikes against the Israeli regime as part of Operation True Promise III have cast a spotlight on a longstanding and notorious military strategy: the placement of critical military facilities deep within densely populated 'civilian' areas.

Reports and field evidence from the retaliatory strikes that inflicted heavy and irreparable blows on the regime again point to the fact that the regime uses settlers as human shields.

In a report published Sunday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz acknowledged that Iranian missile strikes during the 12-day war imposed by the regime targeted only Israeli military installations.

However, the report noted that many of these facilities are deeply embedded within civilian areas, referring to illegal settlements mostly in Tel Aviv and Haifa.

One key example cited was the Kirya, Israel’s central military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv: The Kirya Complex in a ‘civilian’ maze

The Kirya military-intelligence complex in central Tel Aviv was among the first and most significant targets hit by Iranian missiles late on June 13, hours after the Israeli regime carried out an unprovoked and unlawful aggression on Iranian soil, leading to the assassination of many senior military commanders, scientists and ordinary civilians.

Often referred to as the “Israeli Pentagon,” the Kirya houses the ministry of war affairs, military intelligence offices, and various covert installations used in war against Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.

These are concealed in high-rise buildings that are civilian or semi-civilian in nature.

Despite being heavily fortified and protected by multilayered Israeli-American air defense systems, the Kirya was struck early during Iran’s True Promise III operation.

Foreign journalists confirmed damage to towers in the area, even as Israeli media censored coverage under regime pressure. Leaked footage from an Israeli settler showed plumes of smoke and audible panic – “They hit the Mossad!” exclaimed the witness.

Military facilities in settlements

Kirya is located in one of Tel Aviv’s most densely populated districts. Beneath its surface lie numerous underground military facilities, identified by Iranian intelligence following Tehran’s acquisition of sensitive Israeli military and intelligence data in early June.

The district includes:

• Matcal Tower – Headquarters of top Israeli military leadership
• Marganit Tower – Home to strategic communications operations
• The Bor (“The Pit”) – A heavily fortified underground command center.

These installations are surrounded on all sides by settler infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools, and commercial zones, blurring any clear separation between military and non-military zones, as a deliberate strategy to use settlers as civilian shields.

Haifa: Ports, bases, and civilians intertwined

As in Tel Aviv, Haifa’s strategic military assets are tightly interwoven with ‘civilian’ life.

The most prominent is the Haifa Naval Base, home to the regime’s Mediterranean fleet and submarine corps. Located on the northwest side of Haifa’s busy port complex, the base sits amid one of Israel’s most important economic and ‘civilian’ hubs.

Recent months have seen most maritime traffic rerouted from Eilat to Ashdod and Haifa, further increasing the ‘civilian’ presence around these strategic assets.

Residential conversion of military zones

The Bahad 600 naval training base has undergone rapid conversion into a residential area, with new apartment blocks and even a children’s hospital constructed adjacent to operational military facilities. This proximity exemplifies the ongoing militarization of ‘civilian’ areas.

To the north lies the Rafael Advanced Military Systems complex, covering several square kilometers. It produces Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile systems, cruise missiles, and armored vehicle solutions.

Surrounding this are major industrial zones, Kiryat Nahum, Kiryat Ata, and Nesher, which combine military functions with chemical, cement, and energy industries. For example:

• Haifa refinery: Processes two-thirds of the Israeli regime’s oil supply.
• Nesher cement plant: Supplies 60 percent of the regime’s domestic cement needs.
• Communications antenna at Giv’at HaHagan: A key hub linking northern military commands with Tel Aviv. 

Mount Carmel’s militarized natural reserve

The most notorious site is the Mishmar military base, constructed within the protected Mount Carmel National Park. It features visible radars and Iron Dome missile platforms.

The base lies just 300 meters from the University of Haifa’s student dormitories. borders archaeological sites and sanctuaries and is built amid sensitive ecological zones and hiking trails.

Among these historical and religious sites is Derech HaDorot (Road of the Millennia), an open-air museum with Bronze Age and Roman structures and Hurshat HaArba'im (Grove of the Forty), a sacred site for the Druze community.

Despite its cultural and environmental sensitivity, the Mishmar site is now heavily militarized, showcasing the regime's prioritization of military over the safety of settlers or heritage preservation.

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