IDF says drone from Yemen came via Mediterranean Sea; jet scrambled too late to shoot it down

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A member of the Israeli security forces takes pictures at the site where a drone exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the southern Israeli city of Yavne on December 9, 2024. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
A member of the Israeli security forces takes pictures at the site where a drone exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the southern Israeli city of Yavne on December 9, 2024. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)

The drone launched from Yemen that struck an apartment building in Yavne this morning approached Israel from the Mediterranean Sea after making a long detour apparently over Egypt, according to an initial IDF probe.

It crossed into Israeli territory near the Gaza Strip and headed north along the coast toward Yavne, the probe finds.

The military says it detected the drone at several locations after it entered Israeli airspace, though it was not a continuous detection.

Because of this, the military was unable to predict its route and set off warning sirens.

A fighter jet was scrambled to shoot down the drone, though it did not have enough time and ultimately the drone struck a penthouse apartment in Yavne, causing damage.

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