What to do when the Red Alert siren sounds in Israel

The Red Alert siren means immediate danger. Act at once.

How much time you have

The available time depends on the area.

  • Border communities near Gaza: 10–15 seconds
  • Other Gaza-envelope communities: up to 30 seconds
  • Southern cities and nearby areas: about 45 seconds
  • Central Israel and Jerusalem area: about 90 seconds
  • Northern border areas: usually 30–45 seconds, depending on the location
  • Areas farther from the threat: up to 180 seconds

Use the time only to move to shelter. Do not wait to see or hear anything else.

Where to go

Go to the nearest protected place immediately:

  1. Miklat — public shelter or basement shelter
  2. Mamad — reinforced room inside the apartment
  3. Mamak — reinforced floor shelter in the building
  4. Protected stairwell if no dedicated shelter exists
  5. Inner room with no exterior walls, windows, or glass

Choose the closest protected space. Distance matters more than comfort.

What to do inside a shelter

  • Enter quickly
  • Close the door
  • Sit or lie down away from the door and windows
  • Keep away from glass, shelves, and heavy objects
  • Stay inside for the required time after the siren ends
  • Keep the area clear for others if you are in a public shelter

If you are outside, enter the nearest building and go to the protected space inside. Do not stay in a parking lot, under a tree, or beside a wall.

If no shelter is nearby

Move to the safest available indoor place immediately.

Best option

  • Go into the most internal room in the building
  • Close the door
  • Sit on the floor near an inner wall

If you are outdoors and cannot reach a building

  • Lie flat on the ground
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms
  • Stay away from windows, walls, signs, fences, and vehicles
  • Use a ditch, curb depression, or other low point only if it does not expose you to shrapnel or collapse

If you are in a car

  • Stop the vehicle safely
  • Get out if a shelter is close enough to reach quickly
  • If you cannot reach shelter in time, lie on the ground away from the car and cover your head
  • Do not stand next to the vehicle

The correct body position

If no shelter is available and you must stay exposed:

  • Lie on your stomach or crouch low
  • Cover your head with your hands
  • Keep your mouth slightly open to reduce pressure on the ears
  • Stay as low as possible
  • Turn away from glass and open areas

If you are in a corridor or stairwell:

  • Sit against an inner wall
  • Cover your head and neck
  • Keep clear of doors and windows

What not to do

  • Do not run to the roof
  • Do not stay in an elevator
  • Do not stand near windows
  • Do not film the siren
  • Do not stop to collect belongings
  • Do not assume the danger is over because the sound stopped

After the siren

Wait until the official all-clear or until the required safety time passes. Keep children close. Help elderly or disabled people reach shelter first on the next alert.

If you hear a siren again, repeat the same steps immediately.