That familiar disorientating experience since the start of the war is still here when using the Waze GPS road navigation and traffic update app. Maps suddenly show drivers in Israel that their location is in Lebanon, Jordan, or out at sea in the Mediterranean making it difficult to reach their destination when in an unfamiliar location.
The reason for this lies in widespread continuing aerial threats, especially in northern Israel, which require the activation of a variety of technological capabilities for home defense. One of these capabilities is the jamming of GPS systems, which is designed to impair the navigational ability of threats such as drones. Instead of the threat reaching its intended destination, measures are deployed that “confuse” its navigation systems and prevent it from completing its mission. Even today, civilians report that they are still experiencing disruptions, especially in Haifa and the north.
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Why do the disruptions continue even today? Because the IDF assesses that the operational conditions are not ripe to stop the disruptions in the current situation. Experts previously explained to Globes that some of the air threats use “inertial navigation systems,” which are actually internal navigation devices that rely on motion sensors and a computer to calculate the location without external help. Other threats, however, rely on GPS systems based on satellite signals. The same experts explain that the IDF is on alert for various attacks, so it makes sense that the disruptions will continue, at least as long as there is a fear of a surprise attack by Israel’s enemies.
So what can be done to overcome the disruptions? First, download maps for offline use for navigation applications. Second, you can manually enter addresses in location-based applications and not rely on identifying the current location. Finally, for public transport users, the recommendation is to plan the route using the official website of the Ministry of Transport or use call centers.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on May 25, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.
