The IDF on Wednesday morning confirmed that an Air Force “Yanshuf” rescue helicopter crashed while landing in the Philadelphi Corridor in the Rafah area in Gaza overnight Tuesday, killing two soldiers and injuring seven, one critically.

The helicopter was about to land at the helipad in Philadelphi to evacuate a soldier who was seriously wounded by sniper fire during combat in Rafah. At the last moment of landing, it crashed seconds before it was supposed to touch the ground so it did not fall from a significant height but still sustained heavy damage in the crash impact.

Following the crash, an operation was launched to evacuate the injured soldiers and secure the area. Four helicopters and many forces were dispatched to the area. Eight soldiers, including the soldier injured in combat, were evacuated to Soroka Hospital, one in critical condition and four in serious condition. The critically injured soldier was a female pilot. Following the crash, she was trapped in the cockpit for several minutes, hovering between life and death, as her comrades struggled to extricate her. The doctors are now fighting for her life.

The soldiers who were killed, both members of the Air Force’s 669 Rescue Unit, were identified early Wednesday afternoon as Sgt. Maj. (res.) Daniel Alloush, H’yd, 37, from Tel Aviv, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tom Ish-Shalom, H’yd, 38, from Nes Harim.

Alloush, z’l, left behind a wife and two small children, and Ish-Shalom, z’l, left behind a wife and three children, a 13-year-old son and twin 11-year-old daughters.

An initial investigation shows that the crash was not due to enemy fire. The cause of the crash is still under investigation but is believed to be the result of a technical failure or human error. In the wake of the tragic incident, Air Force Chief Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar has established a military investigative committee to examine the circumstances of the incident.

Army Radio later reported additional details about the incident: At 12:32 a.m. a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 123rd arrived in Rafah, carrying a Unit 669 medical rescue team to evacuate a combat engineer who was seriously injured by gunfire from Gazan terrorists.

When the helicopter reached the final landing phase and was already in the landing zone in an IDF encampment, it hit the ground and crashed. At the time of the crash, the helicopter was at a very low height, just about to touch down, and at a low speed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)