IDF unveils dramatic details of helicopter crash rescue operation

Two IDF soldiers were killed, and several were wounded earlier this week when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a night mission in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The helicopter was sent to Gaza on a mission to rescue a wounded IDF soldier.

IDF helicopter crashes are rare and the Israeli military has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, which reportedly took place as the helicopter was preparing to land.

On Friday, Israel Defense Forces released new dramatic details of the rescue operation efforts following the helicopter crash.

Earlier this week, the Kedem Battalion of IDF's Home Front Command dispatched a team to rescue a wounded female pilot. The operation was complex because the pilot was stuck between various helicopter parts following the crash. The rescue team also had to use heavy equipment to rescue a wounded IDF soldier who was found trapped between various helicopter parts.

"In all incidents to which we are called, we think about those who were hurt," stated Second Lieutenant Orel Demoz, who was involved in the rescue mission.

"We started working to extract the female pilot that was trapped inside the helicopter, understanding the complexity of the rescue. We acted with sensitivity and with the help of delicate tools, Demoz recalled, adding that the rescue team prioritized "the security of the female pilot who was trapped and prevented the helicopter from catching fire."

He also recalled the complex rescue of the second IDF soldier who was stuck in the helicopter debris.

"With the help of the engineer of the Kedem Battalion, we used the heavy equipment to lift the helicopter in a precise way while the rest of our soldiers made sure that there were no more casualties.”

Corporal Lisa Leonov from the IDF’s Magen program, aimed at helping soldiers combat stress disorders and PTSD. She also recalled the complex rescue operation.

"We were called in quickly and the entire team was alert and ready. On the way to the scene of the disaster, they mentally prepared us for the fact that we were entering a complex event and were about to be exposed to difficult sights,” she said. "In every rescue team, there is one soldier who is responsible for contact with those who are trapped, and I knew that this time it was my mission," Leonov added.

While rescue operations are often difficult emotional experiences, she stressed that the troops are trained to focus on the mission.

"From the moment you are called, you cut off your emotions and focus on doing your job in the best way possible and being able to keep calm and broadcast that everything is fine; when I saw her, I knew I would do everything to help her physically and mentally," Leonov recalled.

The seven rescued IDF soldiers were quickly transported to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has reportedly conducted various aerial rescue operations in Gaza that have saved the lives of many wounded IDF soldiers, however, this was the first operational accident since the beginning of the war.

IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar ordered a military investigation committee to investigate the cause of the helicopter accident.