Why is everyone suddenly freaking out over Israel? This is not a new conflict.

I’ve been living in Israel for several years now, and I’m an American so it’s been interesting watching the news back home. As you can imagine, I’ve been getting so many texts by friends asking me if I’m okay, family members saying they’re nervous for my safety, coworkers asking if I’m still staying in Israel, and the list goes on. I’m really not sure why they think anything has changed. The conflict has been going on for decades! It’s not like they just now finally heard about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. That really irritates me, because I’ve been living here for years, and everything is fine. And all of a sudden this past week has been the first time everyone back home is suddenly worried about me being here. I mean yes, Tel Aviv was attacked by Hamas, but it’s over now. I live in Jerusalem, which wasn’t touched, and I personally didn’t even see/feel anything where I’ve been. Everything is normal right now, and no one’s panicking here. I feel like people in the US just don’t understand the strength of the IDF. Anyways, I thought this would be a good place to vent. Hope everyone in Israel is safe, and if you’re from outside of Israel, wishing you love, peace, and patience.