We have reported before how the Israeli Defence Forces you drones to drop tear gas canisters over protesting Palestinians along the Gaza border and how the IDF use small racing drones to take down so-called ‘fire kites’. These kites are outfitted with smoldering coals or Molotov cocktails to start wildfires in farmland and forests on the Israeli side of the border. Recently one kite was found with what the IDF believes to be small explosives. Today we get to see some onboard video footage from racing drones as they take down the kites.

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In recent weeks we’ve seen the Israel Defense Forces use drones in a variety of ways. The unmanned aerial devices have been used to shred ‘fire kites’ to pieces or to take them down with fish hooks and lines. We have also seen the Israeli Army use them to spray tear gas or to drop tear gas canisters on to crowds of protesting Palestinians. In an effort to avoid injuries among the protesters, the IDF has now come up with a new method, a drone that drops bags of skunk water to disperse crowds. The so-called Shoko drone.

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The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have turned to drones as a valuable tool in the conflict along the Gaza-Israel border. Over the weekend the IDF used amateur drone racers to take down “fire kites” launched by the Palestinians to set fire to the bushes on the Israeli side of the border, as well as kites that are outfitted with what may be small explosives. After our report from early April, we now learn that the Israeli Army has yet again turned to drones to drop tear gas canisters among the Palestinian protesters. News reports indicate that at least 52 people have died during the protests and many more have been injured. Yesterday marks the single deadliest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 war began.

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Israel started to use amateur drone racers to take down ‘kite bombs’ and burning kites, flown from Gaza into their country, where oftentimes they start small bushfires. According to the Israeli army, it was the first time that a kite outfitted with an explosive device actually landed in Israeli territory after being launched from Gaza. The race drones, operated by amateur drone pilots can reach speeds of up to 110 miles per hour and were first deployed last Friday to shred kites to pieces or to take them down with fishhooks. So far about 40 kites have been taken down.

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Lawmakers in Berlin could soon approve the deployment of armed drone for the Bundeswehr. German defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen is to forward a €25 million EUR ($30.7 million USD) placeholder petition to the defense committees for a program to lease a number of Heron-TP drones from Israel. The entire contract is valued at around €1 billion EUR.

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The Israeli military confirmed that one of their drones carrying four missiles crashed in southern Lebanon as a result of a technical malfunction. The Israel Defense Forces then sent in another drone to destroy it.

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