eSIM and SIM cards in Israel

Why a connection matters more than usual

• Rocket fire can affect most areas of Israel, and interceptions can drop fragments and debris. You are expected to know what to do when a warning siren sounds.
• Israel's Home Front Command publishes the guidance on finding a protected space and issues alerts. The FCDO's advice is to sign up for information and alerts through it, and to call 104 in Israel for its information line.
• The Home Front Command website is available inside Israel only. Set it up once you have arrived and have a connection, not before.

Have the phone working before you need it

• Arrange data before you land, or at the airport, rather than waiting until you reach the city. The alerts are the reason.
• Keep local media accessible. The FCDO's repeated instruction is to follow local authorities and monitor local and international media, including for airport and airspace closures.

What the alert asks you to do

• The best shelter is a residential protected space, a Mamad, Mamak or Maman, or a communal shelter. If neither is available, a stairwell without windows or exterior walls, standing at its centre.
• The main danger is falling debris from intercepts, so being inside a solid structure is what matters.
• Do not approach or touch drone or missile fragments or unusual objects.

Two practical notes

• No warning sirens sound inside Gaza, or in the West Bank outside Israeli settlements.
• Before travelling within the country, check local measures, that roads are open, and that trains and buses are running.