As the US plans to attack Syria have been put on hold for at least a week, the IDF has completed its preparations for possible retaliation against Israel and allowed some of the reservists who had been called up to go home.

Israeli intelligence analysts do not expect the Assad regime to risk trying to strike Israel following the US attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, “we are well aware for every scenario”, and expressed his belief that “our enemies know they have very good reasons not to test our strength”.

The IDF Home Command opened up a number of additional centres to distribute gas-mask kits to civilians.

Meanwhile, additional missile defence batteries have been deployed near the country’s northern border to intercept possible incoming rockets.

In recent weeks, a new, sixth battery of the Iron Dome system has entered service. In addition, batteries of US-built Patriot missiles and Israel’s indigenous Arrow system have been linked up to the Iron Dome to create a single network of sensors and interceptor missiles.