Israeli Bomb Squad Dismantles Explosive Device Wrapped in Flag Near Tel Aviv

Watan-On Sunday, Israeli bomb disposal experts successfully neutralized an explosive device found inside a vehicle on a major highway south of Tel Aviv, in the central Israeli town of Rishon LeZion, according to Hebrew media reports.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that authorities closed Highway 431 in both directions after a suspicious object was discovered in a parked car. Upon investigation, the bomb squad found a live explosive device wrapped in an Israeli flag—a disturbing detail that raised suspicions about the intended message or symbolism behind the attempted attack.

Officials confirmed that the bomb was dismantled before detonation, preventing what authorities described as a potentially “catastrophic event.”

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility, and no arrests have been reported. Security agencies are currently investigating how the car was planted, who may have orchestrated it, and whether the Israeli flag wrapping was intended as a false flag operation, an act of political symbolism, or a psychological tactic to generate public fear.

Rishon LeZion lies just 12 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, and Highway 431 is a critical transit artery linking the center of the country with the coast and Jerusalem, making it a strategic location for any attempted terror or sabotage operation.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions, including ongoing conflict in Gaza, escalating unrest in the West Bank, and threats from groups in Lebanon and Yemen. While Israel is frequently on high alert for external attacks, domestic security threats, including politically or ideologically motivated attacks, are also a growing concern.

Authorities have not ruled out nationalist motives, nor internal radical elements, pending the results of forensic tests and intelligence reviews.