Protection Zones and Warning Times Across Israel

What are Protection Zones?

Protection zones are a geographic division of Israel based on the warning time residents have from the moment a rocket launch is detected to the moment the rocket arrives. The division is determined by the Home Front Command (Pikud HaOref) and is updated as threats evolve.

The time is measured from the activation of the siren to when you must be inside a protected space — mamad, mamak, or public shelter. The closer a community is to the source of the threat, the shorter the time.

Warning Times by Front

Southern Front (Gaza Strip)

Warning Time	Distance from Border	Example Communities
15 seconds	0-7 km	Sderot, Nir Am, Kfar Aza, Nahal Oz
30 seconds	7-20 km	Ashkelon, Netivot, Ofakim
45 seconds	20-40 km	Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Yavne
60 seconds	40-80 km	Beer Sheva, Rehovot, Rishon LeZion
90 seconds	80+ km	Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Netanya

Northern Front (Lebanon)

Warning Time	Distance from Border	Example Communities
15 seconds	0-5 km	Metula, Shlomi, Dovev
30 seconds	5-20 km	Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, Safed
60 seconds	20-50 km	Haifa, Acre, Tiberias, Karmiel
90 seconds	50+ km	Hadera, Afula, Nazareth

Eastern Front (Iran/Iraq)

Long-range ballistic missiles from Iran have relatively longer warning times due to distance:

Warning Time	Area
90 seconds to several minutes	Entire country

Cruise missiles pose a different threat — warning times may be shorter due to low-altitude flight.

What Each Time Window Means in Practice

15 seconds — you can only reach a mamad inside your apartment. No time to leave the floor. Children, elderly, and people with disabilities should be near the mamad at all times during escalations
30 seconds — enough time to reach a mamad or mamak on the same floor. Not enough to descend stairs
45 seconds — you can descend 1-2 floors or reach a mamak on an adjacent floor
60 seconds — you can descend 2-3 floors to a building shelter. Children can reach indoors from a yard
90 seconds — enough time to reach the building shelter even from upper floors. You still need to move quickly

Mamad vs. Shelter — What Fits Each Zone?

Warning Time	Recommended Shelter	Explanation
15 seconds	Mamad only	No time for anything else
30 seconds	Mamad or same-floor mamak	Mamad is preferred
45-60 seconds	Mamad, mamak, or building shelter	All viable if nearby
90 seconds	Any protected space	Including nearby public shelters

How to Check Your Warning Time

Home Front Command app — enter your address to get your exact warning time
Home Front Command website — oref.org.il — interactive protection zone map
Our shelter map — find a nearby shelter and check walking time

Tips by Protection Zone

Areas with 15-30 seconds

Mamad must be ready and accessible at all times — do not use it as storage
Emergency kit inside the mamad at all times: water, flashlight, radio, medications
Weekly family drills — everyone should reach the mamad within 15 seconds
Sleep in the mamad during escalations

Areas with 45-60 seconds

Know your route to the protected space — mamad, mamak, or shelter
Keep shoes by your bed — you need to move fast at night
Practice the route with children

Areas with 90 seconds

Even 90 seconds passes quickly — do not be complacent
Know the nearest shelter outside your home too: at work, school, shopping centers

Frequently Asked Questions

Do warning times change? Yes. The Home Front Command updates protection zones as threats evolve. New weapons capabilities by an adversary may change warning times for specific areas.

What about precision rockets? Israel’s defense systems (Iron Dome, Arrow, David’s Sling) intercept rockets, but you should never rely on interception alone. Always enter a protected space.

How do I know where the threat is from? The Home Front Command app specifies the type of threat and which areas are affected. Sirens are activated only in the relevant zones.