IDF acknowledges issues with new long-range missile alert system during Houthi attack

The IDF acknowledges that there were delays in issuing an early warning to civilians in this morning’s Houthi ballistic missile attack on the Haifa area.

The military recently deployed a new system to alert civilians of long-range missile attacks via a push notification on their phones, 3-5 minutes before sirens sound. The system was used in the early-morning attack, though the early alert was received very shortly before the sirens sounded.

According to the IDF, there were no issues with detecting the missile, but a “malfunction occurred in the transmitting of information” from the Israeli Air Force to the Home Front Command.

“The issue was addressed, but the information was transmitted partially and with a delay,” the military says.

“As a result, the preliminary directives were activated at shorter intervals than required,” the IDF adds.