Aziza Melech felt her body relax for the first time in days when she settled onto her inflatable mattress in an underground station of Israel's light rail system on a recent evening. For the next few hours, at least, the 34-year-old event planner wouldn't need to run every time a siren warning of Iranian missiles sounded.

Since the war began a week ago with Israel's airstrikes on Iran, families with young kids, foreign workers, and young professionals have brought mattresses and sleeping bags, snacks and pets into the stations each evening. 

On Wednesday night, in a station that straddles Tel Aviv and neighbouring Ramat Gan, parents settled in their kids with stuffed animals, while young people fired up tablets loaded with movies. Many walked in carrying boxes of pizza. Workers set out snacks and coffee.

It was Melech's first night in the brightly lit train station, and she was joined by her friend Sonia Shraibmen.

"We're not sleeping because of the anxiety and because of the sirens that are happening during the nights," said Shraibmen. "It's very scary to run every time to the shelter."