The Israeli Ministry of Health announced today, Sunday, that "in light of the current security situation, all hospitals in the north of the country, including in Haifa, Nazareth, Afula, Safed, Nahariya and Tiberias, "will move to work in protected areas."

The ministry said in a statement that the hospitals of "Carmel and Bnei Zion (Haifa), Ziv (Safad), the Galilee Medical Center (Nahariya), Ha'emek (Afula), Poria (Tiberias), and the Italian and English (Nazareth) will move to operate in protected areas."

The statement added that Rambam Hospital in Haifa will also move to operate in the hospital's "fortified parking lot."

She added, "In light of the security situation and after consultation with the Director General of the Ministry of Health, the management of Rambam Hospital, and the Home Front Command, it was decided to move the hospital's activities to protected areas."

The ministry said, "The hospital is working to transfer patients to the departments that have been built in the fortified underground parking lot until further notice."

In addition, “elective activities in the hospital are cancelled, and exceptional operations will not be postponed with the approval of the hospital’s exceptions committee.”

In accordance with Home Front Command directives, the Health Ministry confirmed that "all hospitals in the north of the country will operate in protected areas. Patients are asked to check with the hospital regarding their scheduled appointments."

Rambam Hospital announced that "at 12 noon, patients will begin to be transferred from the hospital's departments to the underground fortified hospital in Rambam." He explained that "this operation will last for several hours and will include hundreds of patients."

He stated that "patients will be transferred according to a specific order for the departments, as each department will be transferred to its designated area in the fortified underground hospital."

He explained that "in parallel with this, patients who can be discharged from the hospital will begin to be discharged to their homes," and said that this comes based on "instructions from the Home Front Command and the Ministry of Health."