The Iron Dome missile defense system shot down an aircraft flying over the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF said the UAV did not enter Israeli airspace, adding that the interceptor missiles were fired at the device while it was over Gaza.

The army did not say if the UAV belonged to any of the Gaza-based terror groups, including the Strip’s ruler Hamas.

Residents of southern Israel in the Sderot area and Palestinians in northern Gaza reported hearing a large explosion.

Footage showed two Iron Dome interceptor missiles being launched at the device.

The Sderot municipality assured residents that no rockets had been fired toward the city, and the drone was successfully downed.

No sirens sounded in the area, as the device did not cross the border.

The IDF said there are no special instructions for residents following the incident.

The Iron Dome was first used operationally to intercept a Hamas drone in May 2021, during an 11-day conflict with Palestinian terror groups in the Strip, known in Israel as Operation Guardian of the Walls. During the conflict, the system also mistakenly shot down an Israeli drone.

Last May, the IDF shot down a drone over the Strip, and before that in November 2021, the IDF shot down a Hamas drone that was flown out to sea.

Israel typically does not interfere when Hamas conducts drone test flights, only when they are being flown out of the Strip.

Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.

For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel