A report by military correspondent Shai Levy (Mako) reveals that ten Goshawk drone-interception systems deployed along the Gaza border were intentionally switched off weeks before the Oct 7 attack. The decision was reportedly made during an operational assessment that deemed the drone threat insignificant and addressable by other means. The publication raises questions about the chain of command and pre-war preparedness.
The revelation by military journalist Shai Levy in Mako, published Sunday afternoon, details that ten Goshawk drone-intercept systems, developed specifically to counter drone-borne explosive devices, were deployed along the Gaza border on the morning of October 7. According to the report, the decision to deactivate them was made weeks earlier during an operational assessment that concluded the drone threat was not significant and could be handled by other means.
The report’s core claim is that the deactivation is one of the most operationally consequential decisions worthy of deep investigation. While the publication acknowledges the systems would not have prevented the entire attack, it raises the question how many surveillance assets, command-and-control capabilities, cameras, and 'see-fire' positions would have remained operational had the interceptors been active. In the first minutes of the Hamas attack, drones targeted IDF observation and communications arrays, effectively blinding the sector.
As The Zioneer has reported in the past, the IDF’s drone response capabilities have been a recurring theme dating back to June 13’s interception over Metula. The new report adds a pre-war dimension, suggesting that a ready operational capability was mothballed before the attack. No official IDF confirmation or denial of the report has been published as of this writing.
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