In the past few years, hundreds of Israelis were hurt because they could not reach a shelter on time during rocket attacks, raising questions regarding the Home Front Command's alert policy and whether there is a possibility to give a longer reaction time.
The detection systems detect missile launches from Lebanon between 15 seconds and a minute and a half before the siren is sounded, depending on the location. Despite this, the sirens are not activated immediately upon detection, and the public does not receive an early warning as they do when Iran launches a missile.
According to a report by Channel 12, it is possible to provide more time to take cover. Locations along the Lebanese border can be granted another 15 seconds, while the reaction time in central Israel could be extended from a minute and a half to two and a half minutes.
Despite the technical capability, the Home Front Command operates according to a division into protection zones, with each zone assigned a fixed warning time in advance that does not change based on the timing of the launch detection.
Israeli journalist Almog Boker, who resides in southern Israel, asked what was on the minds of many: "Why wait until it costs human lives?"
Home Front Command explains the intentional delay using two key concepts. The system waits until the rocket’s trajectory can be calculated with the highest possible certainty. The goal is to prevent “false alarms" in areas that are not directly threatened.
In addition, the military seeks to maintain consistency. According to this approach, if a resident knows they have a fixed amount of time (for example, a minute and a half), they will act accordingly. Changing warning times from one launch to another could create confusion and panic.
Set against these military considerations is a difficult civilian reality. For the elderly, people with disabilities, or parents of young children, every second is critical.
Just this week, Yaron Moshe and his wife, Ilana, were killed by an Iranian missile strike on their home in Ramat Gan. The couple, in their seventies, did not manage to reach their protected room in time during the siren. According to assessments, the reason was the husband’s disability, which prevented rapid access to the safe room.
Their home was severely damaged by a direct hit in the living room. The protected room in the apartment remained intact despite the heavy damage to the rest of the apartment.