Israel foils Hezbollah drone threat over Mediterranean Sea VIDEO

The Israeli Air Force successfully intercepted a drone over the Mediterranean Sea that was approaching Israel from Lebanon.

On October 23, the IDF press service reported that this marked the fifth drone interception of the day, with two days earlier witnessing helicopters and fighter jets intercepting five drones launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah terrorists, per Caliber.Az.

This incident was characterized as "one of the most serious drone attacks in recent weeks," with the drones neutralized before they could enter Israeli airspace.

"Five drones were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force in the Mediterranean Sea. They were neutralized before crossing into Israeli territory. We would like to emphasize that there are no security concerns regarding Ben Gurion Airport," stated the military press service. As a precaution, flights at Tel Aviv's airport were briefly suspended for 15 minutes before returning to normal operations.

Hezbollah has been deploying drones for over a year; however, it has only launched five or more drones on a handful of occasions. According to the IDF, more than 30 drones have been intercepted over the Mediterranean in the past week.

Drones have recently presented more challenges than rockets. On October 13, for instance, four soldiers lost their lives in a drone strike by Hezbollah targeting a Golani Brigade base.

Meanwhile, the IDF's "Northern Arrows" operation, aimed at Hezbollah, is intensifying. Israeli forces in southern Lebanon are daily dismantling the group's weapon stockpiles, which include anti-tank missiles, launchers, and ammunition, while also targeting other terrorist infrastructure.

On the night of October 21, the Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on numerous sites associated with organizations funding Hezbollah. These operations targeted areas in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and several locations deeper in the country.

Most of the attacks focused on branches of the illegal bank "Al-Qard al-Hasan," which serves as a financial conduit for the terrorists. The IDF reported that these "gray" bank branches hold hundreds of millions of dollars for Hezbollah, which are utilized for weapon procurement and paying the group's fighters.

By Tamilla Hasanova