After Northern Drone Fire, Smotrich Urges Israel to Bring Down Buildings in Beirut’s Dahiya

Air raid alerts were activated Thursday morning across several areas in northern Israel over what the military said was an enemy aircraft intrusion. The IDF said two suspected aerial targets were identified falling inside Israeli territory near the Lebanese border, and that there were no casualties. It added that the incident was under investigation.

According to the military, the suspected objects landed in a military area inside Israel, not in a civilian community. However, Army Radio military correspondent Doron Kadosh said that assessment was not accurate, arguing that the footage shows how close the drone came to falling inside the settlement itself. He said the military was trying to brief the media as if the impact was in a military zone, while the recording showed it could have hit Israeli civilians. The closest civilian homes to the scene are in the community of Shlomi.

Military sources typically clarify whether a fall occurred in a settlement or in a military area. After the fire toward northern communities, Finance Minister and cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich responded that the attack is a test of the “Dahiya equation” announced by the prime minister. He called on Benjamin Netanyahu to implement it “firmly and forcefully” and to “bring down buildings in Dahiya today.” Smotrich said these are “critical days for shaping the region for many years” and added, “We promised security for the residents of the north and we must deliver.”