Israeli army claims “intercepting” Hamas drone over Gaza

Israeli army announced Tuesday that one of its warplanes had “intercepted” an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the coast of the Gaza Strip. According to an Israeli army statement, the unarmed UAV — which, it claimed, belonged to Hamas’s armed wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades — had been under surveillance by the army from the moment it took off from the Gaza Strip.

While the army statement merely said the UAV had been “intercepted” by Israeli military aircraft, army spokesperson Ovijaa Odraei said that the drone had been shot down. Odraei, however, declined to describe the alleged UAV in any detail. The Brigades has yet to comment on the Israeli army’s claims.