Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
On August 20, an Iron Dome air defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shot down a drone over the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the IDF alleged that the drone was heading from the southern part of the Palestinian strip toward Israeli airspace.
The drone “did not pose a threat to civilians in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said, adding that sirens were not activated in the towns close to the border “according to protocol.”
A photo that surfaced online showed the trail from two Iron Dome interceptor missiles over Gaza. Palestinian media also reported a large explosion over the city of Rafah in the southern part of the strip.
It was unclear if the drone belonged to the Hamas Movement, the de-facto ruler of Gaza, or the the second largest armed faction in the strip, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Both factions are known to operate several types of reconnaissance and attack drones.
The Iron Dome was originally developed to shoot down rockets. The system was first used to intercept a drone in May 2021, during an Israeli military operation against Gaza
Usually, the IDF does not intervene in the drone operations of Hamas or other factions as long as they are limited to the skies of Gaza. The Iron Dome is typically activated only when drones are being flown out of the strip towards nearby Israeli settlements or the sea.
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