On November 18, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that a Sky Rider unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in the Sderot region, close to the Gaza Strip, due to a technical problem.
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| Palestinians search for relatives and belongings after an Israeli attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, November 1. (Source: Reuters) |
The incident did not result in any casualties and there is no risk of any confidential information being leaked. IDF authorities are investigating the incident.
The Sky Rider is a small UAV used for reconnaissance and combat support missions for the IDF. In recent years, the IDF has used many Sky Rider UAVs in attacks on Palestinian militant targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The IDF is currently operating a large number of Sky Rider UAVs to search for suspected Hamas positions or locations where hostages may be held.
On the same day, Turkish media reported that President Tayyip Erdogan announced that the country would join efforts to rebuild damaged infrastructure, hospitals and schools in the Gaza Strip if the parties reached a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, US Presidential Adviser on Middle East Affairs Brett McGurk said on November 18 that there would be a “significant pause” in the Israel-Hamas war if the armed movement released the hostages it was holding.
Speaking at the Security Conference in Bahrain, the US diplomat stated: “Increased humanitarian aid, increased fuel, pause time… will come when the hostages are released.”
Mr. McGurk also noted that on the evening of November 17, US President Joe Biden discussed this issue with the Emir of Qatar, the country leading mediation efforts towards a ceasefire in exchange for a large number of hostages being held by the Hamas armed group in the Gaza Strip.
In another development, on November 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Berlin, starting a visit to Germany to hold talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a number of issues related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. This is the Turkish leader's first visit to Germany since 2020.
Speaking at a joint press conference the same evening, Prime Minister Scholz emphasized Israel's right to self-defense, while affirming that he and the Turkish President had very different views on the conflict.
“This is why negotiations become so important, especially in difficult times, when parties need to talk directly to each other,” he said.
For his part, President Erdogan continued to criticize Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, condemning the shooting at hospitals that killed patients and children.
He stressed that if Germany and Türkiye called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, there would be no room for anti-Semitism.
To this day, the Israel-Hamas war remains the main point of contention between Berlin and Ankara.
Before meeting the German head of government , Mr. Erdogan met with host country President Frank Walter-Steinmeier.
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