An Israeli Navy ship on Monday night shot down a drone launched towards the country “from the east,” the Israel Defense Forces said, using a phrase that typically refers to an attack originating from Iraq.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was intercepted in the “Red Sea area” before crossing into Israeli territory, according to the military, which noted that no air-raid sirens were activated, as per policy.
ספינת טילים של חיל הים יירטה לפני זמן קצר במרחב ים סוף כלי טיס בלתי מאויש ששוגר ממזרח.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 2, 2024
הכלי יורט בטרם חצה לשטח הארץ, על פי מדיניות לא הופעלו התרעות pic.twitter.com/ul0pBtL8F5
On Nov 18, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on the U.N. Security Council to take “immediate action” against Iranian-backed terror militias in Iraq launching drones and missiles at the Jewish state.
In a letter sent to British Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who served as Security Council president for the month of November, Sa’ar expressed “grave concern over the significant increase in the frequency and the intensity of attacks on Israel conducted by the Iranian-backed militias” since September.
He warned that the ongoing attacks “have the potential to further drag the region in a very dangerous escalation while posing a significant threat to international peace and security,” noting that Jerusalem’s right to self-defense against threats from Iraq is enshrined in the U.N. Charter.
Washington reportedly informed Baghdad in November that Israeli airstrikes in the Middle Eastern country were “imminent” if Iraq failed to stop the attacks.
On Oct. 3, two Israeli soldiers were killed when an explosive-laden drone launched from Iraq hit an IDF base in the Golan Heights.
