Tel-Aviv claims Iran behind drone infiltrating Israel from Syria

Israeli defence officials have stated that Iran is behind a drone that entered Israeli territory from Syria late on April 2 and was subsequently downed by the Israeli Defence Forces IDF).

While the drone is believed to have been sent by Iran, it is unclear whether Tehran did so directly or through one of its intermediaries in Syria or Lebanon, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.

The aircraft was intercepted and downed in a controlled manner using electronic warfare in an open area in the Hula Valley in Galilee. Sirens weren’t activated since the aircraft did not pose danger at any stage, and the aircraft was found early on April 3 morning.

The IDF is currently investigating whether the drone was armed for an attack, or if it was intended for either intelligence gathering or provocation.

In addition, on April 3, the IDF downed an unidentified flying object over the Gaza Strip but did not fly into Israeli airspace or pose a threat. Following the event, Hamas' military wing announced that the unidentified flying object was a drone that belonged to them. They also said that their air defence systems fired at Israeli jets that took out the drone.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has hinted at the attacks attributed to Israel in Syria saying: “We won’t allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us. We didn’t allow it in the past, we aren’t allowing it in the present, and we won’t allow it in the future.”

“We will push them out of Syria and back to where they should be, which is Iran,” he added, speaking to soldiers from the Givati Brigade.

Gallant said that Israel’s security situation is currently tense on all fronts. “The Iranians are sending their tentacles into Judea, Samaria and Gaza and trying to entrench themselves in Syria and on the Lebanese border,” he added, using the Hebrew names for the southern and northern West Bank.

His comments about Iran’s entrenchment in Syria follow a night in which Syria accused Israel of an airstrike for the third time in four days. According to official Syrian media, the strike took place in the Homs district and Syria’s air defence systems intercepted some of the missiles.