When a siren sounds, move immediately. Do not wait for confirmation in news apps or messaging groups. You have seconds, not minutes.
How the Alert System Works (Three Stages)
Stage 1. The moment rockets are launched, the Home Front Command sends a preliminary notification via the app and broadcast media.
Stage 2. Approximately 10 minutes before possible impact — depending on trajectory — a personal push notification arrives via the Home Front Command app.
Stage 3. The siren sounds — the signal to enter shelter immediately.
Do not wait for the siren to confirm an app notification — act from Stage 1 onward.
Shelter Priority
Enter the first available shelter in this order:
- Mamad — the reinforced protected room inside your apartment
- Mamak — a shared protected space on your floor
- Miklat — the building's communal shelter (if reachable via internal stairwell in time)
- Internal corridor or stairwell with no windows, above ground level
Do not use as shelter: bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, underground parking (unless officially certified), or building entrances and lobbies — they are not protected.
Inside the Shelter
Close the mamad door and turn the handle 90 degrees. Close the steel shutter and the inner glass window.
Stay until you receive the third notification permitting exit. Do not leave after 10 minutes — that rule applied to earlier Gaza-era attacks and is no longer the standard.
In a Car
Pull over and get out. If a building is nearby — enter it. If not, move away from the car, lie on the ground, and cover your head with your hands.
Outdoors
In a city, go into the nearest building. In an open area, sit or lie down and shield your head with your hands.
On Public Transport
Bus drivers stop and open the doors. Passengers crouch below window level. On trains, the driver slows to 30 km/h and passengers crouch below windows.
Children and Elderly
Under 18 months: carry the child to shelter. Ages 18 months to 8 years: take by the hand. If you cannot reach shelter in time — lie on the ground together and cover the child with your body.
If an elderly person cannot reach shelter — sit against an interior wall, below window level, not facing the door.
Hotline: 104 (Home Front Command, 24/7). To find the nearest shelter: 106.
Official website: oref.org.il