Pikud HaOref Alerts
Trusted71/100The Problem
Building integrations with Israel's Home Front Command alert system requires understanding undocumented APIs, geo-blocking restrictions, Hebrew-only response formats, and a fragmented ecosystem of community libraries. Developers waste hours reverse-engineering endpoints and handling edge cases like UTF-8 BOM, history caps, and timezone normalization.
Author: @yaniv-golan
Comprehensive guide for working with Pikud HaOref (Israel Home Front Command) alert APIs. Build integrations with real-time rocket alerts, earthquake warnings, and civil defense notifications. Covers official and community endpoints, geo-blocking workarounds, community libraries (Node.js, Python, C#), notification bots, dashboards, and historical data analysis. Use when building alert integrations, fetching live or historical alert data, or deploying monitoring services. Do NOT use for non-Israeli emergency systems or generic webhook frameworks.
npx skills-il add yaniv-golan/pikud-haoref-alertsWhen to Apply
- When building a Telegram, Slack, or Discord bot for rocket alerts
- When creating a live alert map or monitoring dashboard
- When integrating Pikud HaOref alerts into Home Assistant smart home
- When analyzing historical alert patterns during conflicts
- When deploying an alert service that needs Israeli IP workarounds
Pikud HaOref Alert APIs
This skill covers everything needed to work with the Pikud HaOref (Israel Home Front Command) alert system, from raw official endpoints to community wrapper libraries and deployment strategies.
Critical Constraint: Geo-Blocking
The official oref.org.il API may block non-Israeli IP addresses. Deploy on GCP me-west1 (Tel Aviv) to bypass. Tzofar (tzevaadom.co.il) endpoints are not geo-blocked.
Official Endpoints
Real-time Alerts
GET https://www.oref.org.il/warningMessages/alert/alerts.jsonReturns currently active alert. Must be polled every 1-2 seconds. Returns empty body when no alert.
Alert History
GET https://alerts-history.oref.org.il/Shared/Ajax/GetAlarmsHistory.aspx?lang=he&mode=1Returns recent alerts (capped at 3,000 records). Preferred over AlertsHistory.json during high-volume periods.
Alert Categories
| Cat | Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Missiles/Rockets |
| 2 | Hostile aircraft |
| 3 | Earthquake |
| 4 | Tsunami |
| 5 | Radiological event |
| 6 | Hazardous materials |
| 7 | Terrorist infiltration |
| 13 | Event concluded |
| 14 | Pre-alert warning |
Community Libraries
- Node.js: pikud-haoref-api (includes cities.json with ~1,500 locations)
- Python: python-red-alert, python-pikudHaoref-api
- C#: RedAlert
- Docker: orefAlerts
- MCP: pikud-a-oref-mcp
- Home Assistant: oref_alert (HACS)
Key Patterns
- Dual-check for active status: Check alerts.json AND history for cat 13 conclusion
- Location matching: Use cities.json for Hebrew/English name resolution and GPS coordinates
- Time-to-shelter: Every location has a countdown value (0-90 seconds)
- Always strip UTF-8 BOM before parsing JSON responses
- History during conflicts: Use GetAlarmsHistory.aspx (not AlertsHistory.json which degrades under load)
Metadata
GitHub:pikud-haoref-alerts
version:0.6.0
installs:0
views:2
reviews:0 (0.0)
Created:March 21, 2026
Updated:March 21, 2026
Supported Agents
Claude CodeOpenClaw
Tags
alertscivil-defensepikud-haorefrocketsemergencyisraelapireal-time
Best Practices
- Always strip UTF-8 BOM from API responses before parsing JSON
- Poll the real-time endpoint every 1-2 seconds, not faster
- Use dual-check (real-time + history with cat 13) to determine if situation is still active
- Deploy on GCP me-west1 (Tel Aviv) to bypass geo-blocking
- Use cities.json for location matching, time-to-shelter, and GPS coordinates
Avoid
- Do not poll faster than once per second, you may get blocked
- Do not assume empty alerts.json means all-clear, check history for cat 13
- Do not use for non-Israeli emergency alert systems (FEMA, UK alerts)
- Do not rely on AlertsHistory.json during high-volume conflicts, use GetAlarmsHistory.aspx
Try These Prompts
Build a Telegram alert bot
Build me a Telegram bot that sends rocket alerts for Tel Aviv and Ashkelon with time-to-shelter countdown
Check alert status for a city
Is there currently an active alert in Ashkelon? Check both real-time and history endpoints
Deploy alert service on GCP
Help me deploy a Pikud HaOref alert polling service on GCP me-west1 to bypass geo-blocking
Analyze conflict alert patterns
Analyze the alert history from the past week. Show which areas received the most rockets and the timeline of escalation
Security Analysis
71/100
Trust Score
Code Quality65
Permissions90
Data Handling85
Publisher Reputation35
Maintenance55
Documentation85
Passed security checksv13/21/2026
Checks Performed
Snyk Agent Scan (Not scanned)
Cisco Skill Scanner (Not scanned)
Skill spec validation
Tool permission scope analysis
Content pattern scanning
GitHub repository verification
Code quality assessment
Maintenance activity check
License verification
Quality Score
69Architecture80
Maintainability70
Content90
Spec Compliance75
Community30
Frequently Asked Questions
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