Israel intercepts drones, cruise missiles from Iraq over Golan Heights, another drone near Arava

Increased activity appears to signal significant escalation by Iranian-backed proxies

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Alongside the heavy rocket barrages from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon overnight, Israel also intercepted several attack drones apparently launched by Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq.

After air raid sirens were activated in the southern Golan Heights on Sunday morning, the IDF reported that Israeli Air Forces (IAF) fighters intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from the east.

Alarms were activated due to concerns about falling interceptor fragments, the IDF said. No damages or casualties were reported from the incident.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of the southern Golan Heights, multiple suspicious aerial targets approached Israel from the direction of Iraq. The targets were intercepted, and no injuries were reported,” the statement said. “The targets did not cross into Israeli territory, sirens sounded according to protocol.”

Shortly after the interception, the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Shiite militia, claimed to have targeted an IDF base in Israel’s north.

Earlier in the morning, the military downed two cruise missiles headed toward Israeli territory that were also launched from Iraq, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN news. The IDF said that both the cruise missiles and the drone were intercepted outside of Israeli airspace.

Later on Sunday morning, the IDF announced the interception of an additional drone headed toward Israel’s southern Arava region.

An IDF spokesperson said: “Following the hostile aircraft infiltration sirens that sounded in the Arava area, a suspicious aerial target was identified approaching Israeli territory from the east. The target was intercepted, and no injuries were reported. The target did not cross into the territory of the country, sirens were activated according to protocol.”

Saudi news channel al-Hadath reported that the "suspicious aerial target" Israel intercepted was a ballistic missile fired at Eilat from Iraq by Iranian-backed groups.

The drone launches towards Israel from Shiite militias in Iraq appear to indicate a serious escalation of the conflict by Iranian-backed proxies as Israel is under increasing pressure from Western nations over its conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas.

Around 10:30 a.m., the IDF announced that it downed another “suspicious aerial target from the east” that crossed into Israeli airspace without being intercepted.

“Following the sirens that sounded in the southern Golan area, the IAF successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed into Israeli territory from the east. Rocket and missile sirens sounded following the possibility of fallen shrapnel from the interception. No damage or injuries were reported.”

The IAF also announced that it struck dozens of Hezbollah military infrastructure, including launchers and military structures, in dozens of areas in southern Lebanon following this morning’s massive rocket barrage at Israel’s northern communities.