Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system was activated against an unidentified aircraft over the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Two interceptors were fired from a battery located in the Sdot Negev Regional Council near the Gaza border, according to Israeli media reports.
The IDF confirmed in a statement that interceptors were fired, without disclosing how many. The army said that it was investigating whether the aircraft was hit.
The drone had been monitored from the moment it took off and was tracked as it made its way toward Israeli territory, according to the statement, which added that it had posed no immediate threat to Israeli communities.
Residents reported hearing a loud explosion from the direction of the Gaza Strip, but were informed that no rocket was launched from the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave. No air raid sirens went off and there were no special instructions issued by IDF Homefront Command.
The explosion was heard in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, located less than 1,000 yards from the border, where dozens of preschool students were playing outside. The staff quickly ushered them into a bomb shelter, according to Ynet.
“We immediately calmed the children down and explained that there was no siren and there’s no need to panic. They’re already accustomed to such situations. For now, we’ve returned to normal,” Ynet quoted a kibbutz resident as saying.
The incident comes less than 24 hours after the Iron Dome intercepted a Gaza drone on its way to Israeli territory.
The unmanned aerial vehicle was monitored from the moment it took off and did not cross into Israel, according to the IDF.
It had not posed a threat to Israelis residing along the border with the Palestinian enclave, and as such no alert systems were activated, said the IDF.
