BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Hamas' military wing on Wednesday claimed that it had taken over an Israeli drone last month and rebuilt it to make it operational, a statement said. The Al-Qassam Brigades said it had captured an Israeli SKYLARK1 drone on July 22. "Security checks were conducted, and the systems and technologies installed in the drone were examined, and then the unit rebuilt it and put the drone to use in the service of the al-Qassam Brigades," the group said. Hamas said the achievement was dedicated to the Palestinian youth. Last July Israel shot down a Hamas drone near the southern city of Ashkelon close to the Gaza border and in a separate incident downed another off the Mediterranean port of Ashdod, 17 miles north of Gaza and a similar distance south of Tel Aviv. more

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Israeli air force shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Thursday evening, in what is possibly the second Palestinian drone to enter Israeli airspace since hostilities began 10 days ago. The military said in a statement that the air force "located and successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle which was identified near Ashkelon," adding that they "engaged the vehicle mid-flight with a 'Patriot' surface to air missile." Although Israel regularly flies drones over the Gaza Strip -- both during war and peace time -- Palestinian groups have rarely used drones against Israel. On July 14, Israeli forces shot down a Hamas drone over Ashdod, about halfway between Gaza and southern Tel Aviv. more

Israel's military says it has downed an unmanned drone along its southern coastline, the first time it has encountered an unmanned aircraft since its offensive on Gaza began seven days ago. Hamas, the group that runs Gaza, said its armed wing had sent several drones to carry out "special missions" deep inside Israel - a development which, if confirmed, would mark a step up in the sophistication of its arsenal. The military said in a tweet that the drone came from Gaza and that it was shot down on Monday by a patriot missile near the southern city of Ashdod. The force said it was trying to locate debris in the area about 25kms north of Gaza, and determine whether it had carried explosives. more

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Palestinian militant groups in Gaza shot down an Israeli drone in the northern Gaza Strip, military sources in Gaza told Ma'an Sunday. A spokesperson for the Israeli army confirmed that a reconnaissance drone crashed while on an "executive mission," but said that it malfunctioned due to a technical problem. Sources within Gaza's military groups denied the Israeli army claim, insisting that the drone was shot down. Hamas' military wing al-Qassam Brigades brought down another drone during the latest Israeli military offensive against the coastal enclave about a year ago. Also Sunday, witnesses told Ma'an that Israeli military vehicles entered northern Gaza, razing agricultural land inside the strip. more

JERUSALEM (AFP) - An unmanned drone from Lebanon shot down on Thursday by the air force off the northern coast of Israel was an "extremely grave" incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "I see this attempt to breach our borders as extremely grave. We will continue to do whatever we must to protect the security of Israel's citizens," he said. The Israeli air force on Thursday shot down an unmanned drone several miles off the coast of the northern port city of Haifa after it entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, the military said. more

From Mondoweiss Silence over EU science grants to Israel’s war machine by David Cronin Top European Union officials seem to be in denial about how they are subsidising Israel’s war industry in the name of innovation. Although it probably won’t send pulses racing in many newsrooms, a vitally important debate is taking place at the moment about the future of Europe’s policy on scientific research. The debate directly concerns Israel because it is the most active non-European participant in the Union’s multi-annual programme for research. Manufacturers of the weapons used to blitz Gaza during Operation Cast Lead have proven especially adept at accessing funds from the programme, which has been allocated 53 billion euros ($37 billion) between 2007 and 2013. The ethical and legal questions behind handing over taxpayers’ money to Israeli arms companies are being avoided by the Brussels elite. On Friday, June 10, Europe’s science commissioner Máire Geoghegan Quinn will host a conference to di...

The Sunday Times is confirming from western diplomatic sources this morning that Israel did launch an air strike inside Sudan in January on what it claimed was a suspected weapons convoy headed for Gaza via Egypt. Our report earlier in the week, spoke only of an airstrike, quoting Sudanese rebel forces, but the Sunday Times now reveals that it was in fact an Israeli drone that launched the attack. The Sunday Times says the 'Iranian' convoy was carrying Fajr3 missiles with a range of at least 40 miles would bring Tel Aviv and Israel's nuclear facilities at Damona. It is likely that the resistance has been trying to get longer range missiles and will persist in attempting to do so - a further sign of the strategic weakness at the heart of Israeli military planning: Israel used unmanned drones to attack secret Iranian convoys in Sudan that were trying to smuggle rockets into Gaza. The missiles have the range to strike Tel Aviv and Israel’s nuclear reactor at Dimona, defence s...

From the Guardian Israeli drones in Gaza may have had British engines, ministers admit Government unable to say whether aircraft used to target missile strikes had UK-exported parts MPs are calling for a full account of arms exports to Israel amid growing concerns that British military equipment was used during the bombardment of Gaza – contrary to Israeli assurances and UK export guidelines.