Two Israeli Reserve Soldiers Killed in Gaza Drone Incident

Two Israeli reserve soldiers, Sergeant Major (Res.) Nadav Kali, 24, from Har Halutz, and Sergeant Major (Res.) Ofek Moalem, 23, from Jerusalem, were killed yesterday in northern Gaza when a military drone exploded. The soldiers, part of Battalion 7007 of the 16th Brigade, were operating from a base near Beit Hanoun. According to the IDF Spokesperson, the incident resulted from an operational malfunction in the drone. The two soldiers were reportedly flying two drones, with the first mission successful. During the second mission, another drone crashed within the base. When the soldiers approached the crashed drone, it exploded, killing them. They were evacuated by helicopter to an Israeli hospital in critical condition, where they were pronounced dead. The IDF is investigating the incident, examining all possibilities, including potential communication disruptions. The use of this specific drone model has been suspended pending the investigation's findings. This brings the total number of soldiers fallen since the start of the war to 970. The last IDF soldier killed in Gaza was Sergeant Major Ofri Yaffe on February 18th, who died from friendly fire in Khan Younis.