The Israel Air Force shot down an drone near Haifa on Thursday afternoon.

According to sources, the IAF launched fighter jets to bring down the unmanned aircraft believed to have been operated by the Lebanese terrorist organisation Hizbollah.

The Israel Defence Force is investigating exactly where the plane originated from and whether it was holding surveillance equipment or weaponry.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I see the attempt to breach our borders with unmanned aircraft very seriously. We will do what needs to be done in order to safeguard our security."

This is the second time an incident of this kind has occurred in the last six months.