Speculation and rumor are rife in Israel as the question is asked, “Whose drone was it?”
Part of what is driving the rumor mill is the minimally released information from the IDF, the very serious question of how the drone flew so long over Israel uncontested, and what appears to be a leaked IDF photo that censored some markings on the UAV which may have indicated who may have either built or sent it.
The mainstream explanation is that the drone was sent by Iran via Hezbollah in Lebanon to spy on Dimona or to test Israel’s defenses.
A former Lebanese general said on Iranian TV that the UAV was an American drone that may have lost its way.
One Israeli rumor-monger said the drone was American made, and of the kind that may have been sold to Egypt.
On Sunday morning, the Lebanese TV channel “Al Meyadin’, which is associated with Hezbollah, claimed the UAV was launched and controlled by Hezbollah.
The IDF still hasn’t said if the drone was remote-controlled or using a pre-programmed path and a GPS.
But the IDF should know the answers to at least some of these important questions already, so once it decides to release the information to the public, at least some of the rumors will go away.
What follows next is a decision on how Israel will react to the enemy incursion, once the enemy is identified.