The blog Intelli Times on Sunday supported Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s hint that Gaza-based video journalist and photographer Yaser Murtaja, who was shot in the abdomen by an Israeli sniper on Gaza’s border on Friday, had been operating camera drones over the heads of IDF soldiers before being taken down.
The blog offered Murtaja’s Facebook post from September, 2017, in which he stated: “Our planes in the sky and our soldiers on the ground. Our troops are ready for all scenarios. Refreshing morning.”
The combative declaration was accompanied by a video clip of Murtaja, co-founder of the Ain Media production company, proudly displaying his drone.
Intelli Times suggested that of Murtaja managed to purchase and smuggle into Gaza drones carrying high quality cameras capable of gathering high-resolution, 360-degree intelligence on the activities of IDF forces on the ground.
Clearly a Hamas sympathizer, if not an outright member, it is difficult to imagine the late video journalist being able to arrange this level of a smuggling operation of such expensive equipment without the Hamas knowledge, if not support.
It should be noted that in the past, Hezbollah utilized fake press personnel to gather information about the IDF along Israel’s northern border.