A Black Hawk helicopter is displayed at an exhibition in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Sergei Gapon, AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — Two Israeli soldiers were killed overnight in a helicopter crash over the Gaza Strip while on a mission to evacuate an injured soldier to a hospital.
The Israeli army said in a statement that the “Yanshuf” — the Hebrew name for the Black Hawk helicopter — crashed while landing in the Rafah area in southern Gaza.
Both soldiers were in the reserves of the Israeli Air Force’s elite Special Tactics Rescue Unit 669. Seven other soldiers were also injured in the crash, including two pilots and two other reservists of the same unit.
This is the first aerial crash the Israel Defense Forces have experienced in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war against Hamas almost one year ago.
An initial inquiry by the IDF indicated the incident wasn’t caused by an “enemy attack,” though an investigation is ongoing, according to a statement.
The Black Hawk entered service 20 years ago as an IAF transport helicopter for the rescue and evacuation of the wounded as well as tactical missions, according to the IAF’s website.
In a separate statement, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said late Tuesday that Israel has defeated the last Hamas battalion in Rafah and has now completed its mission to destroy the militant group’s last operating brigade.
Rafah is the area close to the Egyptian border where Israel deployed ground forces in May, despite international pressure.
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