Top Israeli Air Force commander misfires on ground troops in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
1 Apr 2024 19:47
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The commander of the Israeli "Ramon" Airbase has been mired in controversy after being identified as the cause of a dangerous mishap.

An Israeli Air Force Apache helicopter fires a missile in the direction of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, on January 3, 2024. (AP)

A top Israeli commander who was escorting ground forces in the Gaza Strip misfired on the occupation forces, the Israeli news website Walla! reported on Monday.

The officer who was identified only as Colonel Y leads the the Israeli Air Force in the "Ramon" Airbase, marking the gravity of the incident, leading the Israeli military command to penalize him and appoint another officer to replace him.

For an unknown reason, Colonel Y accidentally pressed the wrong button in an Apache attack helicopter, firing a missile on the ground forces that his crew was covering. Allegedly, the incident led to no casualties.

According to Israeli media outlets, Colonel G replaced the officer as the chief of the "Ramon" Airbase, following the grave mishap.

"The incident was received with astonishment in the Air Force, because it is a senior and experienced officer, and now the Air Force is waiting vigilantly to see how the commander of the Air Force will respond to the incident," Walla! reported.

A few weeks ago, Walla! reported on an Israeli Apache attack helicopter that collided with a pillar in the Israeli "Nevatim" Airbase. As a result, the helicopter was seriously damaged, while three crew members were injured.

Earlier on December 8, 2023, an Israeli helicopter "mistakenly" targeted a building with Israeli troops inside, resulting in the death of one soldier, Israeli media reported.

As per Israeli media reports, Israeli ground forces sought air support following the "identification of a group of Hamas fighters nearby."

However, an Apache combat helicopter, responding to the request, mistakenly targeted the wrong building due to misdirected ground fire by the soldiers.

The growing trend of mishaps experienced by occupation forces brings up several question marks regarding the competence of Israeli Apache pilots, as the occupation continues to expand its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.