Israel shoots down drone near Masada fortress

This morning, sirens sounded at the much-visited archaeological site on the south-western shore of the Dead Sea after a drone entered Israeli airspace from the east.

According to Israeli media reports, it was launched in Iraq. There was initially no confirmation of this. Militias allied with Iran in Iraq have repeatedly carried out drone attacks on Israel in recent weeks and months.

The ruins of Masada, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are an important testimony to Jewish history in the region. After the suppressed uprising against the Roman occupation and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, the rebellious group of Zealots entrenched themselves there. The Roman legionnaires only succeeded in storming the fortress on a plateau after a two-year siege. However, almost all of the defenders, including women and children, had committed suicide by this time. Masada is therefore regarded as a symbol of Jewish resistance.

There were also air raids in the vicinity of the large city of Haifa in north-western Israel and in the Galilee. According to the Israeli army, several projectiles coming from Lebanon were intercepted there. Another drone coming from Syria was also intercepted.