IDF troops apparently fire at civilian plane, mistaking it for drone; none hurt

Israeli soldiers may have fired on a civilian plane flying over the West Bank on Thursday night, apparently mistaking it for a drone.

The army said that it would investigate the incident, which began when residents of the settlement of Beit El reported several unidentified drones flying overhead.

Troops were dispatched to scan the area, and one unit thought they identified a drone and opened fire at it. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

It later emerged that the flight path for planes arriving at Ben Gurion Airport was shifted eastward, causing planes to fly relatively low over the Beit El area, which may have sparked the reports of drones.

The IDF was also checking the possibility that a police drone flew over the area at the time, prompting the reports.

The reports came as the army has struggled to fend off growing attacks on troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israel by Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) drones, especially those guided by fiber-optic cables, which are effectively impervious to jamming technology.

While Hezbollah has also fired rockets and other types of UAVs, hitting both military and civilian targets, the FPV drones have become an increasingly common weapon in the terror group’s arsenal.

On Wednesday this week, 20-year-old soldier Sgt. Rotem Yanai was killed in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack near the Lebanese border.

Announcing her death, the IDF said Thursday that she was killed running to a shelter during a twin drone attack in a military zone on the Israeli side of the border. The second drone seriously wounded a reservist and left another reservist in moderate condition.

Earlier this week, the Kan public broadcaster reported that the army’s chief of Ground Forces Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan would fly to the US to make a purchase meant to help Israel fend off drone attacks. The army told the outlet that it had “no budgetary restrictions” when it came to the issue.