Red Alert Kassem Warning System Gets Major Upgrade

The “Red Alert” early warning system has been upgraded, and now even residents of Gaza border areas will hear a siren warning of an incoming missile or rocket attack at least 15 seconds before it occurs – giving them a chance to run for cover.

The newly upgraded system covers mortar shells – a first, as the shells were too erratic and small to be tracked in the past. The new system ensures that any incoming missile or rocket attack is the subject of notification. The system has been tested over the past several months, security officials announced on Monday, and it is now ready for action – although it will hopefully not be needed, they added.

Along with the Red Alert system, security officials have implemented numerous other measures to ensure that anyone in the path of an attack has as much time as possible to take cover. Many homes in the Gaza border area are now equipped with special long-life battery-operated alert systems, which go into action only if the area the home is located in is a likely attack target. In addition, the Homefront Command has released its own app that uses cell tower location and other methods to determine the location of a user – sending an alert that an attack is imminent only if the area they are in is targeted.

Security officials are hoping to hone in on specific areas to an even greater degree, they said, adding that the objective was to ensure that daily life would be able to continue with as little interference as possible.