IDF admits ‘false alarm’ sent millions in northern Israel into shelters

On Tuesday evening, just before nightfall, alarm sirens began to blare across the whole northern portion of the State of Israel, from Haifa in the west, all along the Lebanese border to the Golan Heights in the east and down to the Sea of Galilee.

The sirens alerted residents to enter their shelters, and IDF Home Front Command alarm apps sent frightening maps with the whole North covered in red dots to their phones, indicating points of suspected infiltration by “hostile aircraft.”

So what happened?

A few hours later, the Israel Defense Forces admitted that the siren was a false alarm - there was no aerial infiltration, no border clashes occurred and it wasn’t the outbreak of war on a second front with Hezbollah.

In the first half hour, confused reports from news outlets and on social media provided accounts of eyewitnesses claiming to have seen manned paragliders crossing the border from Lebanon. Some even reported hearing explosions and the sound of clashes on the border.

Israel's local Channel 12 news showed live footage of a drone in the sky above Israeli territory until a member of the news panel identified it as belonging to the Israeli army.

Shortly after the beginning of the incident, Home Front Command issued an alarm to the whole country to enter protected areas and remain there.

The nation went through an extraordinarily tense hour-plus until the IDF gave the all-clear.

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari confirmed that there was no security incident in northern Israel and that the military was investigating what caused the false alert sirens.

“There was an error, and we are investigating it – we will check if it was a technical fault or human error,” Hagari told the concerned public.

On Thursday morning, Hagari stated that the false alarm wasn’t caused by a cyber attack or a technical error, as some had feared, but by a wrong situational assessment.

Regarding the Home Front Command alarm, its commander, Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo explained: “Due to a misidentification of gliders infiltrating from Lebanon, I decided to order all the settlements 40 km from the border into the shelters. Half an hour later we realized it was a misidentification, and I ordered everyone to be released, but my people mistakenly understood that I intended to send them all into shelters.”

The only security-related incident during those tense hours was the first launch of a long-range rocket from Gaza toward an area south of Haifa, some 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) away.

The type R160 rocket that was launched had landed in an open area, causing no damage.

After the shocking video footage of Hamas terrorists invading Israel from the air on Saturday morning, the false reports led to fears that the Hezbollah terror organization was attempting a similar invasion from Israel's northern border.

Among the millions of Israeli residents in the north, was one member of the ALL ISRAEL NEWS staff who lives north of Haifa with his family. He spent two hours in his home safety shelter, concerned that this marked the beginning of war with Hezbollah.

The IDF has concentrated forces along the northern border with Lebanon and reinforced the troops with a portion of the 300,000 reserve soldiers to deal with such a possible scenario.

In light of the rising tensions following several clashes along the Lebanese border last week, a member of the newly-formed Israeli war cabinet, former IDF Defense Minister Benny Gantz, threatened Hezbollah on Thursday.

“Our power is already felt in Gaza and if necessary, it will be felt in Lebanon as well and the whole world will see it. The destiny of our enemy is blood and fire and smoke.”