Iranian drones strike Israel in rare penetration of air defences

Two Iranian drones penetrated Israel’s air defences and struck sites in the north and south, CNN reported, citing the Israeli military. The incident marked one of the rare instances in which one-way attack drones from Iran successfully breached Israeli air defences.

The drone in northern Israel struck the town of Beit Shean near the Jordanian border, hitting a two-storey home, emergency responders were quoted as saying.

Images from the scene showed a gaping hole in the side of the building, with its windows and doors blown out. Debris and dirt were scattered around the impact area, CNN said.

Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) said it had not found any casualties at the site and continued to search through the rubble, according to CNN.

A second drone pierced Israel’s air defences and landed in an open area in the south of the country, the Israeli military was quoted as saying.

Most of the drones launched from Iran since Israel began its military campaign have been intercepted before reaching their targets, CNN reported.

The barrage included at least six drones, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the US-based broadcaster added.

Several other drones approaching Israel at roughly the same time were intercepted, including in the Arava desert in southern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, CNN said.

Iran has launched more than 1,000 drones since Israel began its offensive last week, an Israeli military official was quoted by the American news network as saying.