Injuries while seeking shelter during air-raid sirens: A retrospective comparative study from two armed conflicts in...

For 20 years, Israel has experienced periods where it has been attacked by missile fire from Gaza resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. The Iron Dome air defense system detects incoming missiles and then triggers an air-raid siren that can result in physical injuries and emotional distress as civilians seek shelter. The objective of this study was to compare the epidemiology of responses by Magen David Adom, Israel's National Emergency Medical System (EMS) during the 2021 Gaza War and the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, that were associated with injuries during air-raid sirens but not directly related to the missiles.

This is a retrospective comparative study of all EMS responses during air-raid sirens which occurred during the 2021 Gaza War (May 10 -21, 2021) and the 2023 Israel-Hamas War (data from October 7- November 3, 2023).

The study included a total of 1155 EMS responses. Across both conflicts, physical injuries and anxiety-related responses were more common in women than in men (71.8 % vs. 28.2 %; p ≤ 0.05) and 63.5 % vs. 36.5 %; p ≤ 0.05). Comparative analysis between the two conflicts demonstrated that the odds of a response being for an elderly patient (age >75) was higher in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War compared to the 2021 Gaza War (OR 1.83, 95 % CI 1.35-2.48). In addition, there were more EMS responses for injuries in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War compared to the 2021 Gaza War, whether orthopedic (OR 1.66, 95 % CI 1.22-2.25), light injuries (OR 1.35, 95 % CI 0.98-1.86), or head injury (OR 3.31, 95 % CI 1.74-6.30). Additionally, the mean ratio of responses per air-raid siren was higher in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War compared to the 2021 Gaza War (M = 0.15, SD = 0.08 vs M = 0.06, SD = 0.03; p < 0.0001).

Air-raid sirens are important in reducing civilian injuries and deaths from missiles. However, the siren itself may cause significant anxiety and can lead to injury as civilians try to seek shelter. Increased public messaging about staying calm and carefully moving to shelter could help prevent injuries.