The entity responsible for sending a small unmanned aerial vehicle over southern Israel failed in both of its missions: retrieving intelligence data, and harming the image of Israeli air defense, senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad said Tuesday, October 9, The Jerusalem Post reported. Gilad said that the UAV was identified over a long distance and, due to operational concerns, was only shot down by the IDF when it reached an open area. Gilad added that Israel was still unsure who had sent the aircraft. The drone, which Israel intercepted Saturday morning, was not carrying explosives and likely had been dispatched on an intelligence-gathering mission, as well as to test Israel’s air defenses. It entered Israeli airspace via the Gaza Strip, but the army denied Palestinian reports saying it had taken off there.