Israel Says It Shot Down Drone

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Key Takeaways:

  • Israel shot down a drone that had infiltrated its airspace on Saturday, with speculation immediately pointing to Iranian-backed Hezbollah as the drone's operator.
  • The drone entered from the Mediterranean and was destroyed over Israel's southern desert, marking the first time in six years Israel has responded to such a deep airspace violation.
  • Israel views the incident with extreme seriousness, with its Defense Minister stating they will consider their response.
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Israel says it shot down a drone invading its airspace on Saturday and the big question still appears to be to whom it might belong. The video released by the Israeli government shows a missile blowing something to pieces and a fighter jet turns sharply just shy of the debris cloud. Media reports immediately implicated Iranian-backed Hezbollah for the airspace incursion, which Israel said came from the Mediterranean and ended in a puff of smoke over the southern desert.

It’s been six years since Israel has responded to an airspace violation that deep in its territory and it’s not happy about the incident. There were suggestions of retaliation and some tough talk from Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who said in a statement that Israel views “this incident of attempting to enter Israeli airspace very severely and we will consider our response later.”

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