A drone was found in the Givat HaAvot neighborhood of Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, on Saturday evening, close to the home of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The IDF recovered the drone and took it for examination. No injuries were reported.
A military source said it was a small drone and clarified that it was found in Ben-Gvir’s neighborhood, not near his home.
Later, KAN reported that the drone belonged to a youth who lives in the neighborhood, and had fallen on Friday.
Shin Bet details explosive UAV plot to assassinate national security minister
In September, the Shin Bet and Israel Police revealed that a cell of Hebron residents had been arrested on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Ben-Gvir using explosive drones. The suspects allegedly received funding from Hamas headquarters in Turkey.
According to statements the suspects gave investigators, the plot was motivated by the war in Gaza.
Investigators found that the three terrorists initially planned to assassinate Ben-Gvir during a visit to Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs. They monitored his social media accounts and determined that he would visit the area during the Jewish High Holidays period.
The three planned to carry out the assassination using explosive drones. They purchased two drones and a laptop online for approximately $2,000 and then equipped the drones with explosives.
The investigation found that the three acted together, with a clear division of responsibilities and advance planning, intending to target Ben-Gvir and Israeli government institutions.
One of the terrorists told investigators that an accomplice had approached him and asked for help financing the attack. He said he was told that the plan was to target a senior public figure using an explosive drone.
They had received funding from Hamas officials based in Turkey, which they used to purchase two UAVs, which they equipped with explosives, as well as a laptop for a total of approximately $2,000.