Residents in dozens of Jewish communities in northern Israel raced for cover early Wednesday evening as Red Alert sirens activated throughout the Golan Heights, the Galilee, and around Lake Kinneret.
What at first was reported to be a drone invasion turned out to be nothing, at least in the north.
“The reports regarding instructions to remain in the shelters across the country are a human error,” the IDF said in a statement. “There is no such instruction. We ask residents to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and act accordingly.
“Following the reports regarding an infiltration into Israeli air space from Lebanon, as of right now a suspected infiltration has been ruled out,” the IDF said.
Residents in 72 towns were instructed by Home Front Command during the incident to enter their bomb shelters and to stay there until further notice.
Giora Saltz, Head of the Upper Galilee Council said around 6:30 pm Israel time that “manned paragliders have been observed entering from Lebanon.” He asked all residents to lock themselves in their homes.
The drones were reportedly launched from sites as far west as the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon and as far east as Syria, near the Jordanian border.
Alerts from IDF Home Front Command initially included warnings of terrorist infiltration at Ma’ayan Baruch, missile fire aimed at Kerem Maharal and Ofer, and “hostile aircraft intrusion” – infiltration by dozens of combat drones – across northern and southern Israel.
Initial reports had indicated the drones were launched by Lebanon’s Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, aimed at northern Israel from as far west as Rosh Pina and Nahariya to Metullah in the east, including Haifa, the Galilee, the Golan Heights and elsewhere around the region.
At least 10 people were treated by United Hatzalah volunteer medics for minor injures sustained while racing for cover. In addition, the Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit treated a number of people who sustained emotional shock as a result of the sirens.
Haifa’s Rambam Hospital has activated its emergency status, with entire departments moving underground and an announcement that on Thursday, there will be no clinic and ambulatory service.
The hospital’s fortified 2,000-bed underground hospital has already been set up and patients are being moved down. The Health Ministry instructed the medical center to transfer all patients and activity to the underground facility within the next eight to 10 hours.
Rambam is the north’s tertiary care medical center and is responsible for treating all trauma patients, civilian and military, in the region.
IDF Home Front Command issued the following statement:
“Following a large-scale attack, the residents of the settlements in the Gulf, Lower Galilee, Central Galilee, Upper Galilee, South Golan, North Golan and the conflict line must enter a shelter, a shelter, and stay there until further notice.
“Means of communication, food and water, mattresses, blankets, medicines and other necessary equipment needed for an extended stay must be brought into the protected space.
“The door of the protected space and the outer steel window and the inner glass window must be tightly closed.
Staying in the protected space saves lives and is necessary in this situation.
“Movement outside in this area is life-threatening, therefore one should avoid staying and moving outside unless absolutely necessary.
“Keep up to date with the messages distributed in the media and wait for further instructions.”
