Israeli army claims intercepting Hamas drone over Gaza

By Anees Bargouthi

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli army announced Tuesday that one of its warplanes had "intercepted" an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the coast of the Gaza Strip.

According to an Israeli army statement, the unarmed UAV -- which, it claimed, belonged to Palestinian resistance movement Hamas -- had been under surveillance by the army from the moment it took off from the Gaza Strip.

While the army statement merely said the UAV had been "intercepted" by Israeli military aircraft, army spokesperson Peter Lerner told Anadolu Agency that the drone had been shot down.

Lerner, however, declined to describe the alleged UAV in any detail.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has yet to comment on the army’s claims.