It is estimated that millions did not hear the air raid sirens on Tuesday morning at 10:00 as part of this week’s emergency preparedness exercises.

The reality that the sirens were not heard in many areas reflects poorly on the IDF’s Homefront Command, which claimed to have learned the lessons of the Second Lebanon War, stating it is now in a significantly better place than before the war.

Following today’s failure in the nationwide exercise, Homefront officials are investigating what went wrong.

In addition, residents of Ashkelon for example, who point out that for them, attacks are no longer theoretical; there are not enough shelters for area residents. In schools like Tzvia Ulpana High School, only about one-third of the students can enter the shelter while others seek cover under concrete slabs or areas they hope will offer some protection from incoming Grad rockets. Over recent years, school populations have grown considerably, especially in the religious community, and as a result, the number of shelters does not meet the current demand.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)