TheIsraeli home front is more prepared than ever for war, said Matan Vilnai, Israel's outgoing home front defense minister, in an interview Wednesday.

"There is no room for hysteria," Vilnai told the Ma'ariv daily.

"Just as there is a military front there's a civilian front, and I can say with the utmost authority that the home front is more organized than ever before in the country's history," he said on the eve of departing for his new post as ambassador to China.

The remarks come against a backdrop of intensive deliberations within the government and media over a possible military strike onIran's nuclear facilities, with thousands of Israelis lining up to receive gas masks at distribution points set up across the country.

Vilani said that emergency services have been upgraded to deal with a scenario of hundreds of missiles hitting the country's urban centers every day. He projected that a war, waged on several fronts, would last a month and end with 500 fatalities.

"Perhaps there will be less fatalities, perhaps more; I've raised doubts regarding this matter, but that is the scenario we' re readying for, according to the best experts," he said.

Asked whether he supports a pre-emptive strike against Iran, Vilnai said he does not want to be "drawn into the argument."

War, he said, "is something that should preferably be delayed .. . but a decision has to be made. I say that theUnited Statesis our biggest friend, and we will always have to coordinate such moves with Washington."

Despite assessments that Israel's foes would not resort to unconventional weapons in a war, Israelis are not taking any chances.

A growing number of people are lining up at distribution points set up at malls and other public venues across the country to obtain a personal emergency kit that includes a gas mask and an atropine syringe -- injected in case of an exposure to a chemical or biological agent.

An estimated 55 percent of Israelis currently do not have such a kit in their possession due to shortage, Israel's Channel 10 TV reported earlier this week.

"These kits are not the most important thing," said Vilnai. " More than 50 percent of the public have ones, but that does not determine our readiness. What counts is the overall preparedness, and over the last five years we've conducted several large drills to test ourselves."

Vilnai's successor at the home front defense ministry is Avi Dichter, who formerly headed the Shin Bet security agency and served as internal security minister.

Dichter on Tuesday resigned the opposition Kadima party in order to immediately take on the role, after reaching an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Parliament is expected to approve the appointment at a special session on Thursday.

Local media said that Dichter's appointment was meant to provide Netanyahu with a majority in his forum of eight senior ministers, the so-called Octet, for a solo military strike against Iran, with four members of the forum reportedly opposed to the move.