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All Israelis Face Missile
Threat
All Israelis Face Missile Threat
by Gil Ronen All Israelis Face Missile Threat
The IDF’s Home Front Command has begun distribution of a
color-coded map that divides Israel into regions based on the
residents’ distance from the nearest terror army. The map
provides graphic confirmation of the fact that every Israeli is
under missile threat from either Hizbullah in the north or
Hamas in Gaza, or from both.
The Home Front Command launched a public campaign centering on
the map and the slogan “protect yourself right on time.” The
campaign will culminate in the largest-ever nationwide
emergency drill, dubbed “Turning Point 3,” which is scheduled
for late May. The campaign includes TV and radio spots,
magnetic maps for home refrigerators and information on the
Command's website.
The map divides Israel into 27 regions that are grouped into
five ‘belts,’ based on the distance from Hizbullah’s missile
array. The ‘belts’ are differentiated by the amount of time
residents will have to scurry for shelter after a warning siren
sounds. While the northernmost areas like Kiryat Shemona or the
Golan Heights must find shelter immediately, the residents of
Tel Aviv have the “luxury” of a two-minute interlude between
the siren and the expected crash of missiles. Residents of
Jerusalem and the south - all the way to Eilat - have three
minutes.
In addition, four belts have been marked out in the area
surrounding Gaza. Residents of the belt directly bordering on
Gaza have 15 seconds to enter the shelters, whereas residents
of Be’er Sheva have 60 seconds.
The nationwide drill is scheduled to begin in government
offices and will culminate several days later in a nationwide
siren alert, in which all Israelis will be expected to find
shelter.
Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan, Chief of Home Front Command, said
Thursday that while there is no alert or concrete information
regarding a missile attack, “we are preparing for the main
threats. It is clear to all of us that if you take the overall
threats on the State of Israel, there is no place in the
country that is not under threat.”
Both Hizbullah in southern Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are
considered to be proxy forces operating under the direct
influence of Iran. Hamas was able to take over Gaza after
Israel pulled out of that area in 2005. Hizbullah took over
southern Lebanon after Israel withdrew from there in 2000. Both
proxy militias are expected to take part in an attack on
Israel, should Israel and Iran reach a confrontation. Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continually talks about wiping
Israel off the map, and Israel maintains the right to a
military option if diplomatic efforts do not stop the Islamic
Republic's nuclear development program.
The Home Front Command expects distribution protection kits -
including new gas masks and drugs against unconventional
weapons - to begin in November. It warns, however, that the
process could take at least two years.
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