IDF soldiers continued searching the area around Arab el-Aramsha in the Western Galilee, near the Lebanese border, on Sunday morning after an unidentified aerial object was detected entering Israeli territory on Saturday night.
The incident began at about 8 p.m. on Saturday, when the area's hostile aircraft infiltration alerts were activated. Searches resumed at first light on Sunday, as the IDF continued investigating the circumstances of the incident and seeking to rule out a potential security threat.
A military source told Walla that IDF detection systems had identified a foreign object entering Israeli territory. Initially, there was concern that the object was a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), but the possibility that it was a powered paraglider could not be ruled out.
According to the source, the searches initially focused on the Arab el-Aramsha area before being expanded to additional locations along the border.
The IDF said its surveillance systems had detected an unidentified aerial object in the area of the Lebanese border and that troops were continuing their searches. No unusual findings have been reported so far, and no special instructions have been issued to civilians.
Following the IDF's situation assessment, Mateh Asher Regional Council head Moshe Davidovich said in a Sunday statement that he had asked the military's Northern Command chief for a full debrief on the situation.
"The regional council’s security teams remain fully prepared and alert, and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure routine life continues. I will continue to provide updates as necessary," Davidovich said.
Upper Galilee sees hostile aircraft infiltration alerts
Several hostile aircraft infiltration alerts were activated in the Upper Galilee last month.
On September 2, alerts sounded in Dafna, Hagoshrim, Kfar Yuval, and Ma'ayan Baruch, prompting the launch of interceptor missiles. After an initial investigation, the IDF assessed that the alerts were triggered by a false target.
Additional alerts were activated on September 10 in several communities in the area, including Ghajar, Kfar Yuval, and Hagoshrim. In that incident, the IDF later announced the detection was a false alarm.