The Israeli military said on Wednesday it shot down a Hezbollah drone en route to an Israeli offshore gas field last week.
The attack last Wednesday came three days before the IDF intercepted three more of the Lebanese terror group's unmanned ariel vehicles on their way to the Karish gas field.
Meanwhile, Lebanese news network Al Mayadeen reported Wednesday evening that a 46-year-old Syrian soldier was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the border village of Khader. Syrian newspaper Al Watan identified him as Farid Fouad Mustafa.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that last Wednesday IDF detection systems identified an unmanned aircraft making its way from Lebanon to Israel's economic waters and shot it down over Lebanese airspace and far from the Israeli maritime border.
Last Saturday, the IDF intercepted three Hezbollah drones on their way from Lebanon to the Israeli gas rig which has been at the heart of contentions between the countries.
On Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bouhabib met to discuss drone incursions "into the disputed maritime space zone."
"Lebanon believes that any actions outside the state's framework and diplomatic context, while negotiations are taking place, is unacceptable and exposes it to unnecessary risks," Bouhabib said in a statement afterward.
Beirut's top diplomat also expressed its support of special U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein's mediation efforts in the protracted maritime border dispute with Israel.
Bouhabib statement came shortly after the U.S. embassy in the Levantine country condemned Hezbollah's drone incursion.
Earlier this week, Lebanese television channel Al-Jadid reported that Hochstein asked senior Lebanese officials for clarifications over the drone incident. According to the report, Hochstein said that the drone incursion was intended to throw a spanner into the negotiations and could affect the positive nature of the talks.
Israel intercepts three Hezbollah drones on their way to Karish gas field
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Hochstein is also reportedly expected to join U.S. President Joe Biden on his trip to Israel next week and hold a meeting with Energy Minister Karin Elharrar.
Hezbollah has previously warned Israel against drilling for oil and gas in the disputed area until the issue is resolved, and said the group would take action if it did so.
Israel says Karish is part of its exclusive economic zone, but Lebanon says the field is in contested waters and should not be developed until the two countries conclude their indirect talks to delineate their maritime borders.
Those talks fizzled out last year after Lebanon pushed its claim in the disputed zone from a boundary known as "Line 23" further south to "Line 29," adding around 1,400 square km (540 square miles) to its claim, including part of Karish.