Many Jerusalem residents wondered late Tuesday night whether they should enter protected areas after hearing loud explosions throughout the city, despite no sirens being activated.
Residents reported seeing interceptions in the sky after receiving a notification from the Home Front Command about 10 minutes earlier, alerting them to missile launches from Iran.
Many contacted the Home Front Command seeking clarification, but did not receive immediate responses. In the morning, the Home Front Command explained that there was no issue with the siren system in Jerusalem.
The Home Front Command clarified that there are three types of alerts: "Stay near a protected area" is automatically sent to everyone when a missile launch is detected, approximately 10 minutes before its arrival in Israel.
"Enter a protected area" is sent locally only to areas expected to be hit by missiles when the siren sounds; and, "Exit the protected area" is automatically sent to everyone once the threat has been cleared.
Regarding the explosions heard, the Home Front Command explained that there was no need to enter protected areas, which is why no alerts were issued in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, shrapnel from an interception fell in the Sorotzkin area of Jerusalem late Tuesday night, even though no sirens sounded in the area. No one was injured.