Two IDF soldiers killed as Israeli military helicopter crashes in Gaza

Two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed when an occupation army's helicopter crashed in the southern Gaza Strip while attempting to rescue an injured soldier.

Seven soldiers were reportedly injured and were evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

In a statement released on X, the Israeli army said, "Overnight, an Israeli Air Force 'Yanshuf' helicopter, which was on a mission to evacuate an injured soldier to a hospital for medical treatment, crashed while landing in the Rafah area in Gaza."

"An initial inquiry indicates that the crash was not caused by enemy fire... Two IDF (Israeli army) soldiers were killed as a result of the crash," the statement added.

Videos of the helicopter crash, showing debris scattered across the city, circulated on social media.

The Israeli military helicopter shot down during the attacks in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/LZQRgNlERo

— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) September 11, 2024

Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued its operations in the West Bank, raiding the cities of Tulkarem and Tubas, and detaining 18 Palestinians from Hebron.

At least 27 people were killed on Wednesday in various Israeli attacks. The Israeli military struck a residential building in Khan Younis, killing 13 Palestinians.

On Tuesday, a deadly attack on the Al-Mawasi camp turned the area into a site of destruction, with 30-foot craters left by the impact of US-made 2,000-pound (907 kg) MK-84 bombs.

The Israeli airstrike targeted at least 20 tents early morning and killed at least 20 innocent Palestinian civilians during their sleep and wounding 60 others.

The overall Palestinian death toll since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached at least 40,939 with more than 93,534 wounded. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.