Hamas Claims Body Parts of IDF Soldiers, Captured Israeli Drone

In yet another attempt to try dramatize things, Hamas’ military wing held a press conference Wednesday night, ahead of which they claimed they were to reveal exclusive new breakthroughs. At the press conference, they claimed that they held body parts of IDF soldiers killed during Operation Protective Edge, and that they were successful in taking over an Israeli drone and making it operational.

Hamas said that the body parts were held in Beit Hanoun, in the north of the Gaza Strip. This claim clearly dispelled the thoughts that they were referring to the bodies of Shaul Oron — who was killed in Saijia, in the middle of the Strip — or that of Hadar Goldin — who was killed in the south of the Strip.

The Palestinian al-Aqsa channel later aired a video that purports to show the takeover of the Israeli drone.

“The Izzad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, revealed that a special unit took over an Israeli SKYLARK1 drone and was able to make it operational,” a statement from the Qassam Brigades said.

The takeover of the drone occurred, according to Hamas, 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,” Hamas said.

The statement went on to say that “the enemy must know that we are lying in wait for it and will surprise it every day with a new achievement it would not expect.”

The Skylark I drone, developed by Elbit Systems, is used by the Artillery Corps. It has crashed in Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip and Yehudah and the Shomron several times over the past few years. This is the IDF’s smallest drone and is used by battalion and division commanders.

On the seventh day of Operation Protective Edge last year, a Hamas drone infiltrated southern Israel. It was intercepted by a Patriot missile near Ashdod.

At the time, Hamas said it had launched “several unmanned aerial vehicles for the purpose of special missions deep inside Israel.”

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the August 14th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.