An unusual security alert in southern Israel prompted residents of the border community of Paran to shelter Tuesday evening, following concerns of a possible infiltration from Jordan. By late evening, authorities said the threat had been ruled out.
At 8:14 p.m. local time, sirens sounded across Paran, located near the Jordanian border in the Arava region. Residents were instructed to enter protected spaces as IDF forces launched ground and aerial searches and blocked local roads, including access to the nearby city of Eilat.
The IDF said it had spotted around ten suspects approaching the Israeli border near Paran. After extensive searches and roadblocks, the suspicion of infiltration was ruled out. The statement added that the “incident is over, and there is no security threat.” The individuals were identified as 10 Jordanian soldiers who neared the border.
However, by Tuesday night, Israeli police confirmed that the alert had been lifted and no infiltration had occurred. “The security concern in the Arava has been ruled out,” police said in a statement. “Road access to and from Eilat has been reopened.”
The Central Arava Regional Council said it remained in contact with security authorities throughout the incident.