Netanyahu in Nof HaGalil Government Meeting: Drones Are a Special Challenge

During a special government meeting held today, Thursday, in Nof HaGalil on aid for northern communities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the ceasefire in Lebanon: "We are striking Hezbollah very hard, hundreds of terrorists that we eliminate every week. And we have more challenges, a special challenge is the drones. We are working on it. We will restore security to the north, and we will create security in the north as we did in the south." In addition, the prime minister promised the core cities in the Galilee an "enormous package" and added: "We can give them an enormous boost, a strong addition that will give them momentum and development because that is our vision. Because everyone understands that this is a sacred national mission. A top-priority mission." Netanyahu also said: "We will promote massive urban renewal in business, transportation, infrastructure, health and education, according to your advice. We want to give you, בדיוק כפי שאמר שר האוצר, we want to give you the tools because you are the commanders in the field. You will know how to use these resources in the most effective way."

On Tuesday, an armed terrorist carrying a pistol was killed after opening fire at IDF forces in the Ramat Naftali area, near Moshav Margaliot on the Lebanon border. The terrorist approached the security fence and opened fire at a military post in the area, and an IDF force at the scene returned fire and killed him. There were no casualties among the soldiers. Following the exchange of fire and concern about the presence of additional terrorists in the area, residents near Margaliot were asked to stay inside their homes.

The initial investigation found that the incident began at around 1:30 p.m., when a soldier responsible for logistical transport arrived in the area following a report of a fire. Upon arrival, the soldier identified a suspicious figure wearing military uniform and immediately dispatched a combat force to the location, which arrived within minutes. Shortly after the fighters disembarked at the site, they heard gunfire and opened fire toward the source. The terrorist was killed in that exchange of fire. The entire incident took place near the border, about 1.2 kilometers from Margaliot.

Immediately after the terrorist was killed, additional army forces arrived and began extensive foot searches. At the same time, aerial searches were carried out using drones, alongside reinforcement from Air Force forces. Following the infiltration, the "Night Knight B" procedure was declared and the area was completely sealed off in order to allow the military forces, together with local defense forces, including regional security officers, defense squads and additional security forces, to conduct extensive searches to rule out the presence of additional threats. During the searches on the ground, the terrorist was found inside Israeli territory, near the security fence. A long knife and a pistol were found on his body, and he was wearing military uniform. However, it is not known whether he was affiliated with Hezbollah. At 5:50 p.m., after no additional threats were identified and following extensive searches and observations from the air and on the ground, the incident was declared over, in coordination with the local authorities.