Israel identified as source of GPS disruption across the Middle East
July 4, 2024
El Al plane is seen at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on December 31, 2022 [Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
An Israeli army airbase in northern Israel has been identified as the source of numerous GPS interference incidents across the Middle East, according to a New York Times report.
This type of disruption, known as spoofing, involves scrambling signals to mislead aircraft instruments, making it difficult for them to determine precise locations. This technique is also used to confuse enemy missiles, complicating accurate targeting of critical sites.
Since the war in Gaza began on 7 October, northern Israel has faced significant GPS jamming, widely attributed to Israeli efforts to disrupt Lebanese Hezbollah’s capacity for precise missile strikes.
The New York Times reported that University of Texas researchers, Todd Humphreys and Zach Clements, traced the jamming signals to their source using satellite data. They expressed high confidence that the source was Ein Shemer Airfield, located near Hadera.
The report estimated that the GPS spoofing has impacted over 50,000 flights, causing pilots’ systems to incorrectly indicate locations in Beirut or Cairo. Pilots flying in and out of the region are aware of this ongoing issue and routinely take measures to counteract it.
Moreover, users of driving navigation apps have frequently reported their GPS indicating they were in Beirut or other Lebanese locations, or in Cairo and its surroundings.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have flared once again since Israel began its genocidal bombing campaign in Gaza in early October 2023. The Lebanese group has said it is striking the occupation state in “solidarity” with Palestinians and will stop only when Israel agrees to and abides by a full ceasefire in Gaza.