One week after a ceasefire came into effect, it is not yet possible to detail with any certainty the use of drones in the latest Israeli war on Gaza. As well as armed drones, Israel used F-16s, Apache helicopters, tanks and ships to launch over 1,500 strikes on Gaza during its latest eight-day war. However according to one Israeli military source the use of drones during ‘Operation Pillar of Defense’ was “unprecedented“.
Throughout the conflict drones were used for surveillance and targeting as well as armed strikes. Many Palestinians reported the noise of drones overhead throughout the nights terrifying children and making sleep impossible. One blogger, Rana in Gaza, regularly recorded the sound of drones overhead. A New Zealand journalist,Julie Webb-Pullman videoed a drone operating over Gaza but had to move quickly when the drone spotted her watching:
The true cost of the war was born by the people of Gaza. While Palestinian militantscontinued to fire rockets at Israel – killing 4 civilians and 1 soldier – at least 150 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more seriously injured. According to thePalestinian Centre for Human Rights ninety of those who were killed were civilians with about 30 being children.
Both Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and War on Want say a two-way arms embargo on Israel is long overdue. As War on Want puts it “By trading in arms with Israel, the British government is giving direct support for Israel’s aggression and sending a clear message of approval for its actions.” To download resources calling for such an embargo click here and for more information about UK-Israel arms salessee here.
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