Drone footage obtained by Keshet 12, an extremely popular Israeli News Agency, shows the chaos unfolding as Israeli drone pilots get in the air and try to support their ground forces in the confusion of the October 7 attacks conducted by Hamas.

The leaked drone footage, unauthorized for release by the IDF, unveiled the aftermath of a Hamas attack on Route 232 in southern Israel. On October 7, amidst the chaos of the surprise assault by Hamas, the Air Force's 200th Squadron deployed drones, even those with malfunctions, to monitor the area and try to get support to the troops on the ground.

The group was tasked with distinguishing between Hamas terrorists and Israeli forces near Kibbutz Mefalsim, and drone operators faced confusion while attempting to prevent further breaches and casualties. In an interview with channel 12, an officer who would only be identified as Lt. Col. Resh said "We don’t feel successful. We feel like we failed. We feel that we’re obligated to restore trust in us. There were lost hours that we can’t get back. I hope that we managed to minimize the damage later in the day."

The footage captured scenes of abandoned vehicles and casualties, with armed groups surrounding them, prompting frantic efforts by drone operators to identify the enemy. Eventually, they distinguished between terrorists and friendly forces by identifying weapons and the garb of the fighters on the ground, and by coordinating strikes with IDF troops that were present to continue making strikes while attempting to minimize any form of collateral damage.

You can read the full write-up from Channel 12 by clicking on this link, and I highly recommend checking it out as it better explains the circumstances of the footage.

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Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com