Hizbollah yesterday announced that a "Mirsad 1" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carried out its maiden mission over Israel. Hizbollah claimed that the UAV penetrated "occupied northern Palestine, flying over several Zionist settlements ... returning safely to its base."
Following Hizbollah's announcement, the IDF stated, " This morning an Iranian UAV operated by the Hizbollah terror organization infiltrated into Israel over the western Galilee."
Hizbollah claimed that the UAV flight was "in line with the natural retaliation for the continuous violations of the Lebanese airspace" by Israel. It went to state that Mirsad 1 UAVs would "fly in the airspace of occupied Palestine whenever the Islamic resistance sees fit, and it is a form of legitimate confrontation to the Zionist violations of Lebanese sovereignty."
In a special breaking news broadcast yesterday, Hizbullah television station "El Manar" announced the infiltration, which it portrayed as a historic event - the first unhindered flight by an Arab plane over a large Israeli city, which successfully took pictures and even returned safely to Lebanon.
Hizbollah secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah recently threatened to use innovative weapons to prevent overflights of Lebanon by Israel Air Force jets.
If Hizhollah was actually able to take pictures of Nahariya and the western Galilee, this was a dramatic turn of events.
The IDF statement concluded, " This is further evidence of the lack of control of the Lebanese government of activities carried out from within its territory, something which may cause harm to Lebanon and its citizens. The State of Israel views gravely any infiltration into its sovereign territory from the air, sea or by land, and will act to ensure the security of its citizens."
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on November 8, 2004