Israeli forces launched defensive missiles Thursday night to intercept UAVs allegedly targeting civilian areas in the country’s south.
The Iran-supported Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for sending drones, which were intercepted over the Red Sea, as reported by Times of Israel.
“A short while ago, two UAVs that approached Israeli territory from the east were intercepted by the IAF in the Red Sea area,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The UAVs were intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory,” it added.
The incident occurred after rocket attacks from Lebanon resulted in seven casualties in northern Israel, striking agricultural zones near Haifa. This marked the most lethal attack from Lebanon since Israel’s recent military operations in the country.
Meanwhile, Israel conducted 10 strikes on areas including Ghobeiry, Al-Kafaat, Sayyed Hadi Highway, the Al-Mujtaba Complex vicinity, and the old airport road.
Recent weeks have seen continuous Israeli bombardments of south Beirut, along with lethal strikes across Lebanon’s capital and other regions.
The strikes occurred one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s discussions with US officials regarding a potential resolution to the Lebanon conflict, as casualties continue to rise on both sides.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, comprising Iran-supported armed groups, has increased its operations in response to Israel’s Gaza campaign, which began October 7 and has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths. The group has also conducted numerous attacks on US installations in Iraq and Syria, prompting American counterstrikes, with some potentially carried out by Israel.
Israel currently faces conflicts with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, while managing threats from Iran-backed forces in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Israeli leaders maintain their stance against Iranian regional expansion.