'Was there an attack?' Tel Avivians unfazed but hope fades for hostages

Air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning as, for the first time, Hezbollah fired a surface-to-surface missile at the coastal city. A few minutes later, beachgoers flooded the bustling promenade, playing volleyball, cycling and kite surfing.

- Lorenzo Tondo Quique Kierszenbaum

"Was there an attack this morning?" asked Eyal Kadosh, 31, confused, while resting on a bench with a friend after their workout.

"Well, I'm here, what should happen will happen anyway." Despite the prospect of an allout conflict with Hezbollah, as an intense bombing campaign inside Lebanon stretched into a fourth day, the lives of Tel Avivians seem unaffected, consumed by a sense of near invulnerability.

The unprecedented attack did not appear to burst what is sometimes seen as the city's "bubble" while conflict rages elsewhere.

"I went to the shelter as soon as I heard the siren, but I'm not afraid," said Ravit, a 28-year-old teacher.

"I think the Hezbollah threat is like others we have faced before. But I believe in our army, and as long as they tell me I can go to the beach, I will go to the beach."