An Israeli Air Force unmanned aircraft crashed in southern Gaza early on Tuesday, the Israeli army confirmed to Xinhua.

"A Skylark 1 drone crashed in the southern Gaza Strip due to a technical malfunction," a spokesperson for the Israeli army said in a statement. "An investigation is under way," the spokesperson added.

Local media in the Hamas-ruled Gaza reported that the drone crashed east to the city of Rafah, near the Israel-Egypt border.

Skylark drones, also known as Sky Riders, are used by Israel for gathering intelligence and missile strikes in Gaza. The drones are manufactured by Elbit Systems, Israel's largest weapons company.