On Saturday at 10 AM, the IDF control systems identified a penetration by an unmanned aircraft from the Mediterranean, entering over Gaza, into the south of Israel.
The drone was under continuous surveillance from the air and the ground upon entering Israeli airspace, including an escort from IAF fighter jets, as it traveled some 100 kilometers over Israel.
The drone was shot down by an F-16 (“Sufa”) with an anti-aircraft missile, in the area of Yatir forest in the northern Negev (the south Mount Hebron area), in order to prevent damage to populated areas.
IDF forces are collecting fragments of the aircraft to try to identify with certainty its origin and mission.
It is now believed that the drone was launched from Lebanon and traveled south until it turned into Israel. That could mean it was controlled by Hezbollah or Iran.
IDF Spokesperson Yoav Mordechai said the drone was being tracked the entire time it was over Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the IDF’s actions and said, “We will continue to defend our borders at sea, on land and in the air to secure Israel’s citizens.”
MK Miri Regev (Likud) wrote on her Facebook page that the drone was an Iranian drone launched by Hezbollah.
MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) is saying the traversal of the drone over Israeli airspace for nearly a half hour was a significant security failure.