IDF helicopter crashes in Rafah, two soldiers dead

An IDF helicopter crashed overnight in a still unexplained accident in Rafah, killing two soldiers, including the lead pilot, and wounding seven soldiers on board.

Warrant Officer (res.) Daniel Alloush, 37, from Tel Aviv, and Warr. Ofc.  (res.) Tom Ish-Shalom, 38, from Ness Harim, both serving in Unit 669, were named as the soldiers killed in the crash. 

In addition, a female and male pilot, a mechanic from Squadron 123, a doctor, and a combat soldier in reserves serving in Unit 669 were seriously wounded. A combat doctor serving in Unit 669 and a mechanic from Squadron 123 in reserves were moderately wounded. 

The female pilot was part of the crew that evacuated Qaid Farhan Alkadi from the Gaza Strip.

The accident occurred after midnight in an attempt to rescue a wounded soldier in the field with Unit 669 forces.

Further, the accident occurred as the helicopter was close to the ground.

IDF to probe accident

Moreover, the IDF said that no enemy forces had hit the helicopter and that the reasons for the accident would be clarified in an ongoing probe.

By 2:00 a.m., all of the wounded had been evacuated to the Soroka Medical Center.

The IDF said that it has performed hundreds of successful rescue missions in Gaza, saving around 1,700 soldiers generally without incident until now.

National Unity leader MK Benny Gantz sent his condolences to the victims' families in a post on X/Twitter. 

"In this war, the Air Force and the Medical Corps managed to save the lives of hundreds of soldiers in daring and quick rescues, sometimes under fire," he wrote. 

הלב נשבר לנוכח אסון התרסקות המסוק בו נפלו הלילה שני לוחמים ונפצעו שבעה במסגרת חילוץ ברצועת עזה. אני מבקש לנחם את משפחות הנופלים ולאחל החלמה מהירה ומלאה לפצועים. במלחמה הזו, חיל האוויר וחיל הרפואה הצליחו להציל את חייהם של מאות חיילים בחילוצים נועזים ומהירים, לעיתים תחת אש.לאור…

— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) September 11, 2024

He further noted that "the abilities demonstrated by Unit 669 and other units," in addition to "the courage of the fighters and the medical teams," reduced "the time spent rescuing the wounded and bringing them to the hospitals," which saved many lives. 

The Israel Air Force under commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar and IDF Southern Command Commander Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman arrived at the scene where the crash took place several hours later.

Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar stated: "Last night, while performing a life-saving operation for a severely wounded man from the Gaza Strip, we tragically lost two reservists—some of our best men—in the crash of an IDF Black Hawk helicopter from Squadron 123 during the landing phase. Additionally, eight soldiers were injured, some very seriously."

"After touring the accident site and visiting the wounded at Soroka Medical Center, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen and will continue to support the injured. This was an operational accident involving the helicopter crashing during the critical mission of evacuating the wounded. On the ground, the forces of the 162nd Division acted with determination to save lives," he added.

"Over the past 11 months of the war, the Air Force has evacuated over 1,800 wounded, including from deep within the Gaza Strip, often at significant risk to life. This is a life-saving mission. While the Air Force mourns its soldiers, it remains committed to its missions across all theaters of action. The Black Hawk helicopters are still on standby for rescue operations. As Unit 669 says, 'In trouble you called, and I saved you'—every day, even today. This morning, a commission of inquiry was appointed to investigate the crash. We are proud of the army, its missions, and its achievements. We support all the squadron and rescue unit members and share in their pain of loss as we continue to fight."