A 2013 article, entitled the "Challenges of integrating unmanned aerial vehicles in civil applications," written by Fadi Al-Batsh, the Hamas electrical engineer who was assassinated in Malaysia over the weekend, bolsters the assertion he was targeted for his expertise and possible role in the development of Hamas's drones apparatus in Gaza, according to Yediot Ahronot.
Among other things, the study examines motor efficiency, battery functioning, the importance of reducing the weight of the aircraft and the communications system. In the article's conclusion, Al-Batsh and two other researchers at Malaysia's International Islamic University note that further research into these challenges could help drones stay in the air longer and in any kind of weather.