Hamas Downs Israeli Drone in Gaza

Palestinian media reported that Hamas resistance fighters intercepted and downed the quadcopter drone east of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip on Monday night.

The Israeli military confirmed that a drone fell in southern Gaza Strip, saying that an investigation into the incident is underway.

The aircraft’s remains are now in the hands of the resistance fighters, according to Press TV.

The unmanned aerial vehicle is the second aircraft the Israeli army has lost over the past 24 hours.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah said its air defense forces shot down an Israeli military drone outside the southern town of Ramyah early Monday, amid heightened tensions between the group and the Israeli military.

The downing of the drone in Rafah area comes amid a series of exchanges between Israel and Gaza.

Palestinian news agencies said late on Saturday that Israeli airstrikes targeted positions allegedly held by Hamas inside the enclave. Health officials said there were no casualties from the attacks that lasted close to an hour.

Israeli sources said the attacks hit Hamas naval facilities on the Mediterranean and two military compounds run by the group in central Gaza. There was no confirmation from Hamas and its affiliated groups.

The relentless Israeli bombardment came after Hamas launched a drone operation targeting Israeli military equipment stationed along the border with the occupied Palestinian territories following a wave of Israeli aerial assaults.

Hamas’ raids have come in response to the regime’s killing of Palestinian protesters marching along the fence separating Gaza from the Israeli-occupied territories.

Gaza has been under Israeli siege since June 2007, which has caused a decline in living standards.

Israel has also launched three major wars against the enclave since 2008, killing thousands of Gazans each time and shattering the impoverished territory’s already poor infrastructure.