IDF says technical malfunction caused failure to warn of Iran barrage that killed two
Residents complained that they received no prior alert from the Home Front Command’s advance-warning system and heard only the standard air-raid siren after the explosion.
Two people were killed and 21 others were wounded, two of them seriously, when an Iranian missile made a direct hit on a residential neighborhood in central Israel before dawn on Saturday. Later during the day, the IDF confirmed that the advance warning was not distributed due to a technical malfunction.
Residents complained that they received no prior alert from the Home Front Command’s advance-warning system and heard only the standard air-raid siren after the explosion. The IDF said it is examining the failure.
The incident marked the first full operational use of the Home Front Command’s new alert platform, known in Hebrew as “Meser Ishi” (“Personal Message”).
Designed to give civilians a few critical seconds to reach shelter, the system uses cell-broadcast technology to push emergency notices directly to every mobile phone connected to antennas in an endangered area—no app, pre-registration or internet connection required. Messages appear automatically on the handset’s screen accompanied by a distinctive alert tone.
A similar partial rollout took place on April 17, 2025, when the IDF provided lead-time for communities facing missile fire from Yemen. In Saturday’s attack, however, many citizens reported that no advance message arrived.
Trying to calm my children
Daniel, who lives near the impact site, told Walla: “We heard a huge boom—the whole neighborhood shook. I’ve spent an hour trying to calm my children; they’re still terrified. The house is badly damaged, but thank God we were sleeping in the reinforced room because of the constant sirens. We’re lucky it was only property damage. Despite the blow, we’re strong—Am Yisrael Chai. Nothing will break us.”Naor Nimni, another resident, said: “We ran to the shelter with the dog and the kids. Everything around us is destroyed. The electricity went out. Within two minutes rescue teams arrived to get us out, but the street is covered in debris and the cars are burnt shells. The force of the blast is unbelievable.”
The IDF’s probe is expected to focus on whether technical glitches, human error or the sheer volume of incoming rockets prevented the “Personal Message” system from triggering in time. Officials have pledged to publish their findings once the review is complete.
