The Military Censor of the Defense Forces (IDF) finally allowed journalists to publish what many already knew, The Times of Israel newspaper stressed.

The decision was announced 24 hours after the Hermes 450 drone strike on a suspected checkpoint of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has used armed drones to strike numerous targets over the years, and according to reports, as early as the 2006 war in Lebanon and the 2008 war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli drones have also been used in several targeted killings of Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, including a leader of the group’s military wing, Ahmed Jabari, in 2012.

They were also employed in a technique known as “knocking on the roof,” in which an inert missile is fired at the roof of a building to warn Palestinian residents to leave the structure before it is destroyed by live ammunition.

“When asked about the use of armed drones or the sale of weapons, the response from Israeli officials is always the same: a shrug, a smile and no comments,” The Jerusalem Post said.

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