Warning sirens have sounded more than 78,000 times since start of war — report

A total of 78,109 sirens warning of missile, rocket and drone attacks from Iran and Hezbollah have sounded across Israel since the start of the war with Iran nearly a month ago on February 28, according to a tally on Channel 12.

Kiryat Shmona, the embattled city close to the Lebanese border, has had the most warning sirens, with 154. The city has been attacked frequently by Hezbollah both during the current fighting and in Israel’s previous conflict with the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group, from 2023-2024

The second-most sirens, 146, have sounded in the northern border town of Misgav Am, the Tel Aviv-area Ariel Sharon Park and eastern Ramat Gan in central Israel, the network says. And 145 have sounded in the central city of Holon and its surrounding area.

By contrast, several locations in the south, including the town of Mitzpe Ramon, have had only one siren during the war.

The most common time for sirens to sound is at 10 a.m., the report says, with 7,122 sirens going off at that time. But one hour earlier, at 9 a.m., only 1,404 sirens have sounded.

Missile launches from Iran typically come with early warnings, giving residents a few minutes to head to shelters. Sirens warning of salvos from Hezbollah, by contrast, give residents a matter of seconds to head to shelter.