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IDF says Yemen drone that hit Yavne building wasn’t flagged as clear threat.
Air Force probe finds drone was noted as suspect but wasn’t shot down amid concerns it was a civilian aircraft; says going forward sirens should sound even when threat unconfirmed.
A drone fired from Yemen on Monday that hit a residential building in the city of Yavne, causing damage but no injuries, did not activate sirens in the area because it was not classified as a clear threat, Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar said on Tuesday.
A statement from the IDF said that after Bar investigated the incident, it was found that the drone was initially noted as suspect and was slated to be shot down, but officials decided not to out of concern that it was a civilian aircraft.
Since the drone was not classified as a threat, no sirens sounded, the statement said.
Bar said that “the Air Force failed in this incident and did not provide protection and warning to Israeli citizens,” and added that in the future, sirens should be sounded even if a suspected drone was not confirmed to be a threat.
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen took responsibility for the attack on Monday, saying in a statement that their “pinpoint military operation aimed at a sensitive target of the Israeli enemy” had been successful.
The rebels, part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and the United States, have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war, one of which killed a man in Tel Aviv.
That ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led a massive cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
Israel has twice bombed Houthi targets in retaliation for their ballistic missile and drone attacks.
According to a report by the Kan public broadcaster on Sunday, Israel was considering launching “a significant attack” on Yemen in response to the recent strikes.
The Houthis have also waged a harassment campaign against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the Gaza war, severely disrupting the vital trade route.
They have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started last October, including seizing one vessel and sinking two in a campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US, or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have had little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
(Times of Israel)