Defense Minister Israel Katz will sign a special security order on Sunday that bans fiber-optic and SIM-controlled drones from Israeli airspace for six months. VINnews reported that Katz's office cited intelligence on drone attacks, smuggling and attempts to target senior officials.
The order is temporary. It is intended to provide a security response while officials develop longer-term answers to the threat.
The ban covers only two kinds of drones. One is guided through a physical fiber-optic cable and cannot be stopped by electronic jamming. The other carries a SIM card, runs over commercial cellular networks and can be flown at long range. All other drones may keep flying under existing laws and regulations.
Several exemptions apply. They cover activity by or on behalf of the security forces and fiber-optic drones tethered to the ground. They also cover SIM-controlled drones that received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority before the order takes effect. A committee will review requests for further waivers.
Katz's office said the decision followed concrete intelligence and growing threats from enemies inside and outside Israel. Those threats include drone attacks, attempts to target senior officials, the use of drones by criminals and crime families, intelligence gathering and smuggling.
"Given the severity and variety of the threats, a response is required both in security zones and along the borders, as well as to drone terrorism inside Israel," the statement said.
Katz described the flight ban as one step in a wider campaign against drones. That campaign also includes an import ban and new regulation.
Katz's office said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed the measure and that it was approved at a recent security cabinet meeting. It said the National Security Council led the preparatory work for the decision together with the security agencies.
Katz will sign the order under his powers in the Aviation Law. Before signing, he consulted the director of the Civil Aviation Authority and completed a public comment process, as the Justice Ministry requires.
