Israeli Jets Sent to North Over Suspicion of Lebanese Aircraft Incursion

Israel Air Force planes were dispatched to the north on Saturday on suspicion that an aircraft had crossed into Israel from Lebanon, but were sent back to their base after the concerns turned out to be unfounded.

The Israeli military has recently been on increased alert in the north over fears that Iran would try to respond to the killing over the past week in Syria of two Iranian officers from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards — an attack that foreign media have attributed to Israel.

The Revolutionary Guards issued a statement saying, “without a doubt, the Zionist regime will pay the punishment for this crime.”

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On Friday, a situation assessment was held following the Iranian threat after Israel's military chief Aviv Kochavi returned from a visit to Bahrain. The IDF reinforced its presence on the northern border, primarily its intelligence and aerial defense.

The attack in Syria was the first attributed to Israel since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Israeli defense officials were concerned that criticism of the invasion might affect relations between Russia and Israel on the northern border. Following the invasion, the Russian embassy in Israel announced that military coordination with Israel in Syria would continue, adding that the coordination mechanism had proven itself effective.