Air raid sirens in southern Israel turn out to be false alarm
Air raid sirens sounded in several southern Israel communities yesterday evening near the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that no rockets were launched, and therefore, no Iron Dome interceptions were activated.
Witnesses in the area reported hearing “very loud gunfire” coming from the Gaza Strip.
An IDF spokesperson confirmed that the sirens had not been activated by incoming rocket fire, but were likely activated due to over-sensitivity to heavy machine gun fire.
The IDF announced they were launching an investigation into the incident.
One woman was treated for panic after the sirens sounded.
Another alarm system, in Israel’s northern town of Kiryat Shmona, was also erroneously activated yesterday evening. That siren turned out to be a “technical error” according to the IDF.
The IDF spokesperson also said that the Iron Dome interception yesterday was not “a hostile aircraft”, but was in fact a flock of birds. System “over-sensitivity” allegedly was to blame for that incident, as well.
Tensions are high in the region, after the terror attacks in Jerusalem last week and several rocket attacks from Gaza over the last few weeks.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
