As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, the Israeli Ministry of Communications has reactivated two medium-wave transmitters to bolster communications to the public.
Galei Zahal (Army Radio), operated by the Israeli Defense Forces, on Jan. 3, 2024, began trial services on 1287 kHz in northern Israel and 945 kHz in the central part of the country. With the two transmitters, Galei Zahal can cover from Metula in Israel’s far north to Be’er Sheva in the Negev Desert, as well as all of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza.
The AM transmissions are expected to enable radio reception in bomb-proof spaces and air-raid shelters, which FM signals do not reach as efficiently.
Maimon Shamila, director general of the Ministry of Communications, stated “As part of the assessments for scenarios that may develop, the Ministry, assisted by the National Emergency Authority, [telecommunications company] Bezeq and IDF Radio, acted to restore to service an additional capacity that will be used as an information channel for the needs of alerting, guiding and informing the public, so that we will be the most fully prepared that we can be, and hopefully that we will not need it.”
The move follows efforts begun after the October 7 attack by Hamas that precipitated the war to expand the Idan Plus over-the-air digital television system into air-raid shelters. On Jan. 2, the Ministry of Communications announced funding for 65 local authorities to ensure Idan Plus reception, along with internet services, were available in public air-raid shelters.
In November 2023, BBC World Service’s Arabic service began a medium-wave emergency program on 639 kHz for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, providing safety information along with helping to direct people to food, water, and other supplies.
