(Israel Hayom) Hanan Greenwood - On Nov. 12, 2019, an Israeli Air Force drone carried out a surgical strike to eliminate the commander of the Gaza division of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades, Baha Abu al-Ata. Ata was the mastermind behind 99% of the terrorist attacks emanating from Gaza in recent years and he was single-handedly disrupting the delicate status quo between Israel and Hamas. Intelligence indicated that he was planning additional rocket and sniper attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Drone surveillance enabled the IDF to know not only where Ata was at any given time, but also when his children were with him. According to drone unit officer Captain A., "The enemy invests considerable resources to camouflage itself among civilians, but we have our capabilities to counter that." Lt. G., another squadron member, noted, "We follow the principle of proportionality, try to be as humane as possible and minimize harm as much as possible. It's not a computer game and it's not easy for anyone to do these things. You decide people's fate and you are fully aware of the meaning of what you do." Captain A. concluded, "there is no doubt [this mission] saved Israeli lives."
2020-10-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive