An Israeli attack helicopter accidentally dropped a bomb inside Israeli territory during an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the military said Wednesday, marking the fourth such incident in just over a month.
According to the IDF, the munition fell on Tuesday in a field near the border fence in the Western Negev due to a technical malfunction. No injuries were reported. "The incident is under investigation," the IDF said in a statement.
The mishap is the latest in a string of similar occurrences. Earlier this month, an F-16 fighter jet dropped a bomb in a field in the Jezreel Valley, also citing a technical malfunction. The military said the malfunction prevented a safe landing. The bomb fell between the communities of HaYogev and Kfar Baruch, according to a message sent to residents.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Two weeks prior, fragments of another munition were mistakenly dropped in Kibbutz Dan, near the Lebanese border, following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Upper Galilee residents reported hearing a loud explosion on the morning of April 27. A crater was later discovered within the kibbutz grounds, close to the border.
2 View gallery
Accidental bomb drop left a large crater in northern Israel last month
(Photo: Zamir Haimi)
In mid-April, a bomb was unintentionally released in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, near the Gaza border, also due to a technical malfunction. The IDF said the munition fell just outside the western fence of the kibbutz, relatively far from residential areas. Residents said they were unaware of the incident at the time, as explosions from military operations in Gaza are frequent in the area.
The IDF said each of the incidents is being reviewed.