How Israel’s Safe Rooms Defy Death

In a detailed social media thread posted on June 14, 2025, Daniel Bachmat (@DanielBachmat) addressed public confusion about the effectiveness of safe rooms (mamads) in protecting against missile attacks, even if they may not withstand a direct hit. Bachmat, responding to frequent questions, clarified the type of protection mamads provide and why they significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Bachmat explained that when a missile strikes, its explosion can harm people in three ways: a blast wave causing sudden air pressure changes, shrapnel from the missile itself, and debris from disintegrating walls or furniture. The danger level is measured by the "lethal area," the zone around a person where a missile strike would cause severe injury. In open areas, this lethal area can span 5,000 square meters, making individuals highly vulnerable even to distant explosions.

However, protective measures drastically reduce this risk. Lying down in an open area shrinks the lethal area to about 1,000 square meters, a fivefold improvement. Entering a building further reduces it to roughly 200 square meters, as walls absorb much of the blast and shrapnel. A mamad, designed to withstand external explosions, cuts the lethal area to approximately 20 square meters, offering a 250-fold improvement over standing in the open and a 10-fold improvement over an unprotected room.

Bachmat emphasized that while a direct hit on a mamad could overwhelm its defenses, the small size of the room makes such a precise strike highly unlikely. For example, in a city like Tel Aviv, with an area of 50 million square meters, the odds of a missile landing within the 20-square-meter lethal area of a mamad are just 1 in 2.5 million, lower than the risk of crossing a street. In comparison, a deep underground shelter provides complete protection, reducing the lethal area to zero.