The Hebrew daily Maariv has revealed that Israeli fighter pilots assigned to intercept Iranian drones ended their missions with leftover ammunition, which they then dropped on targets in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, the pilots requested permission to release the remaining munitions over Gaza, a request that was granted by the Israeli command.
The paper stressed that this practice was carried out consistently over 12 days of fighting between Israel and Iran, under the pretext of “supporting forces in Khan Younis and northern Gaza.”
Maariv noted that this tactic has now become a routine, daily operation, with pilots receiving ongoing clearance from the air control room overseeing Gaza’s airspace.
The report added that the Israeli Air Force has sought to expand this initiative to include all Israeli aircraft, pointing out that Gaza endured heavy airstrikes during the Israeli-Iranian clashes.
While it was initially assumed that Israel’s focus on its confrontation with Iran might ease aerial bombardment of Gaza, testimonies gathered between June 13 and June 25 indicate otherwise. In fact, the bombardment not only continued but intensified, resulting in a higher toll of casualties and devastation — lending weight to Maariv’s findings.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported more than 140 martyrs and hundreds wounded as Israeli attacks persist against displaced people and civilians waiting for aid in the north, central, and southern parts of the enclave.
In a statement, the Ministry confirmed that Gaza’s hospitals received 142 martyrs — including three bodies recovered from rubble — and 487 wounded in the past 24 hours alone.
Since the beginning of Israel’s assault on October 7, 2023, the death toll in Gaza has now reached 57,012 martyrs, with 134,592 injured, according to the Ministry’s latest figures.
