Malfunctioning radar sets off sirens in north
Sirens heard across north, alarmed residents rush into shelters. IDF says siren was result of malfunctioning radar. Outraged officials: 'Army will have to provide answers for how this could happen, people are in shock'
Sirens were heard Thursday morning across Kiryat Shmona, Hatzor Haglilit, Safed and Rosh Pina, but no rockets landed in the region.
Military officials estimate that the sirens were mistakenly activated following radar activity in the area. The IDF is currently looking into the incident.
Head of the police's northern district, Maj. Gen. Dan Ronen, confirmed that the siren was the result of a malfunction, and told Ynet: "I've asked the Home Front Command chief to examine the subject, and he confirmed that this was a false alarm. I assume that this was very hard on the northern residents who are trying to return to normalcy. The Home Front Command will inquire how this happened."
Bomb shelter in north (Archive photo: AFP)
The Kiryat Shmona Municipality said that hundreds of worried residents called a helpline to inquire about a siren sounded in the city.
A municipality official said that "the army will have to provide answers for how such a breakdown could occur so soon after the fighting is over. People are literally in shock. We ourselves didn't know what to do, whether to laugh or cry, and where to go," he described.
"People were so scared that they jumped out of windows and ran into the shelters," a resident of one of the kibbutzim in the area said. "We are only now beginning to get used to the calm, and this sudden siren turns everything upside down," he added.
On Monday, the Home Front Command had informed residents of a return to routine, although public gatherings are still prohibited in the region.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, three days after the ceasefire came into force, the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 is expected to begin Thursday.
The Lebanese army will embark on the first stages of deploying its forces south of the Litani River, in the area where the Israel Defense Forces recently operated against Hizbullah , after the move was approved Wednesday by Fouad Siniora's government. Israel is waiting to see how things will be implemented in the field.
Hagai Einav and Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
