Palestinians accused Israel of using armed drones in targeted killing operations in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, but Israel never confirmed this, which prevented any news from being published before.
There were also many international news reports about Israeli drones attacking sites in Lebanon and Iran, which was not officially confirmed by Israel either.
A statement from the Military Oversight said that after examining the matter, “there was no obstacle preventing the publication of reports that the IDF used armed drones in the framework of its operational activities.”
Israel has one of the largest squadrons of drones in the Middle East and is also among the region’s largest exporters of drone technology, but most are unarmed and used for reconnaissance.
An oversight officer said that despite the lifting of the ban on reporting reports on the use of armed drones, the publication of reports on technical details or operations would be subject to review before approval for publication.