Israelis were ordered to take shelter on Wednesday evening amid reports of 15-20 manned paragliders infiltrating Israel from Lebanon.

Later on Wednesday evening, the IDF said that there have been no reports of rocket hits or injuries and they are continuing to carry out searches of the area. The IDF added that it will soon publish further details. Residents of the north were instructed to continue to lock themselves in their homes and keep their houses dark but do not have to stay in their bomb shelters.

The IDF said later that the alerts across northern Israel were a false alarm, an infiltration has been ruled out, and an investigation is being carried out on the incident.

Red alert sirens blared across Israel’s north, in every town in Ramat HaGolan and the Galil and many cities, including Haifa, Tiveria and Tzfas, as fears rise that terrorists on paragliders are planning to invade northern communities.

The armed terrorists may be copying Hamas tactics and attempting to enter northern Israeli communities for a mass assault.

There are reports of explosions being heard in Metula, a town right to the border. Residents of the town have already been requested to evacuate the area earlier this week. There were also alerts of a suspected terrorist infiltration in the town of Ma’alot Tarshisha, which is only five miles from the Lebanese border. The alert was later reported as false.

One of the drones was reportedly aimed at Dimona, the site of Israel’s nuclear reactor. Channel 12 News reported that the paragliders are aimed at “missions” at IDF bases in central Israel.

In light of the suspected infiltration and possible launch of rockets, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa activated its emergency mode and has begun transferring all its patients to its underground facility. The Health Ministry has ordered the hospital to transfer all patients and operations underground within eight to ten hours. The hospital has already announced that there will be no clinical or ambulance services on Thursday.

Huge number of Red Alert sirens 🚨 across the North of Israel, with suspected aircraft infiltration.

At this time MDA teams are on route to several people with minor injuries and stress symptoms. pic.twitter.com/HQnWbEZxhm

— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) October 11, 2023

An MDA spokesperson said: “Regarding the recent Red Alert sirens that sounded in the northern regions of the country, we can confirm that no reports have been received concerning direct falls or casualties. However, there have been a few instances of individuals sustaining minor injuries whilst heading to secure areas, in addition to several individuals experiencing anxiety-related symptoms.”

This is a developing story.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)