By Akiva Van Koningsveld, JNS
"At this stage, it is not possible to determine its origin or purpose with certainty," the military told JNS.
The Israel Defense Forces told JNS on Tuesday that the suspicious aerial object that set off air-raid sirens in the northern Bedouin community of Arab al-Aramshe on Saturday night was most likely a balloon.
"Following an in-depth inquiry conducted by the IDF, the preliminary assessment is that the object was most likely a balloon-like object or a device that floats using hot air," the military stated.
"At this stage, it is not possible to determine its origin or purpose with certainty," the statement continued. "It can be established that the object was not a drone or UAV, and it may have been a harmless object that drifted into Israeli territory."
The object "was identified by air force surveillance and detection systems, which tracked it and directed forces on the ground as they responded to the incident," according to the IDF.
"At the same time, as is standard procedure in such incidents, defensive measures in communities were reinforced, including the local defense squads, until all relevant checks are completed," it added.
"As of this time, the object has not yet been located, and there have been no changes to Home Front Command instructions."
The IDF statement also addressed "the recent increase in reports of false detections and interceptions."
"Throughout the war, the Air Force has been engaged in detecting and intercepting threats across multiple fronts, with the safety of civilians and forces deployed deep in the field as its foremost priority," the military said.
"The distinction between a drone and a bird can be very small. Therefore, no risks are taken, and once a threat is identified, a rapid process is initiated to intercept the target."
The IDF said it "continues to conduct searches throughout the area, both in the air and on the ground, while continuously examining its detection systems to improve identification capabilities and draw lessons from operational incidents of this kind."
The air-raid sirens sounded in Arab al-Aramshe at 7:57 p.m. on Saturday, sending the community’s roughly 1,400 residents to shelters.
Channel 12 News reported on Sunday that the IDF was still investigating the incident. The military told the outlet that the aerial object had most likely returned to Lebanese territory.
In a separate statement at the time, the IDF said that no suspicious findings had been located and that no special restrictions had been imposed on residents.
Additional troops were deployed and attack helicopters were dispatched to rule out a security incident, according to Ynet.
