A strange war or a scheduled war: an analysis of the timing of rocket attacks on Israel

Walla journalists conducted an analysis of the start time of air alerts in eight cities of central Israel — Lod, Petah Tikva, Rishon Lezion, Modi'in, Ramle, Netanya, Savyon and Gedera. The results showed a clear pattern in the timing of the attacks.

The most intense rocket attacks and the sirens associated with them sound most often at night — between midnight and 5:30 a.m. During this period, sirens went off almost every hour in some cities. For example, 66 sirens have sounded in Gedera since the beginning of the war, of which at least 17 were at night, and in Modi'in, 13 out of 61 attacks occurred during the night hours, including exact times. 00:07, 01:03, 02:18, 03:12 and 05:12.

At the same time, there is a relative lull in the central regions of Israel from 9:00 to 14:30 — during this period, air alarms practically do not work. This rhythm of attacks creates the impression that attacks occur according to a certain schedule, which raises questions about the tactics and objectives of the enemy.

These observations coincide with the overall picture of the last days of the conflict, when Iran intensified rocket attacks on Israeli cities, causing casualties and destruction. Despite this, residents of the central regions of Israel remain relatively calm, adapting to new realities and promptly responding to air alarms.