IDF says airstrike in southern Gaza targeted two suspects who picked up a drone

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

File: People walk past building rubble in a ruined neighborhood in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on January 21, 2025 (Eyad BABA / AFP)
File: People walk past building rubble in a ruined neighborhood in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on January 21, 2025 (Eyad BABA / AFP)

The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in southern Gaza’s Rafah this morning, saying it targeted two suspects who had gone to pick up a drone.

The drone had been flown from Israel into the southern Gaza Strip, and was being tracked throughout its flight, the military says. In recent months, the IDF says, it has identified several attempts to smuggle weapons and drugs into Gaza using drones. The drone was apparently being controlled by smugglers on the Israeli side.

An Israeli strike targeted the drone and the two suspects who taken possession of it. One was killed and the second was wounded, according to Palestinian media.

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