Security alert at Israeli President's residence after suspicious object detected

Dubai: Israeli security authorities temporarily closed the entrances to President Isaac Herzog's residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday after a suspicious object was detected during the screening of a foreign journalist, Israeli media reported.

According to Israel's Channel 14, the journalist, believed to be Spanish, was detained at the entrance after security screening equipment detected a suspicious object apparently among her belongings.

The incident prompted an unusual security response, with access to the presidential residence suspended while authorities investigated the alert.

Israeli news website Ynet reported that an explosives detection test conducted on the journalist's hands returned a positive result, citing a police source. The nature of the suspected substance and the object that triggered the alert were not immediately established.

Journalists already at the residence were instructed to remain inside the security screening tent until further notice, while security personnel were told to stay away from windows.

In a statement carried by Ynet, the president's office said an alert had been triggered by screening equipment during security checks, prompting the suspension of entry to the compound pending further investigation.

Police bomb disposal specialists were dispatched to examine the equipment and determine whether it posed a security threat.

The incident occurred shortly before Herzog was due to begin consultations with political parties following Israel's parliamentary elections, ahead of deciding whom to task with forming the next government.

There was no immediate confirmation that explosives had been found, and the journalist's identity and nationality had not been officially established.