GPS disruptions hit central Israel as country braces for potential Iranian retaliation
GPS disruptions hit central Israel as country braces for potential Iranian retaliation
Residents of central Israel have reported that navigation apps like Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps are mistakenly locating them in the Beirut area
Expanded GPS disruptions have been reported across Israel in the past 24 hours. After months of residents in the north of the country being forced to travel on roads without the help of navigation apps like Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps, users in the center of the country have also reported GPS disruptions in the past two days.
Residents of Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Rishon LeZion reported that the Waze app is mistakenly locating them in the Beirut area. Other location errors occurred in other navigation-based apps such as Google Maps and Moovit. Dozens of calls from helpless drivers were received at the Gett information center for the company's taxi drivers.
In addition, unusual traffic jams were reported throughout central Israel and especially in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area - apparently also due to GPS disruptions for drivers. The Israeli public's reliance on GPS in daily life is not limited to maps only, and it also affects users of food delivery apps, dating apps, and apps for locating objects (Air-Tag).
These disruptions are part of the actions being taken by the Israeli security system in preparation for a military response by Iran to the assassination of a senior Iranian military official in Damascus, Syria, on Monday.
On Wednesday, it was reported in the Israeli media that against the backdrop of Iranian threats of revenge in the near future, the security system raised the level of readiness, with an emphasis on the Air Force. The IDF announced the reinforcement and mobilization of reservists for the air defense systems.
Since the beginning of the war following the events of October 7 and Hezbollah's joining the attacks on Israel's northern border from Lebanon, there have been reports from residents in the north of similar incorrect data due to GPS disruptions. At the time, the Israeli Cyber Directorate stated that "during the fighting, GPS disruptions are being activated proactively for various needs. Citizens should be aware that the disruption can cause various and temporary phenomena in location-based applications."
