The commander of the IDF Ground Forces ordered a 48-hour suspension of the military's use of attack drones on Friday, as a precaution following the incident in the northern Gaza Strip in which two reservists were killed when an Israeli explosive drone detonated. At the end of the 48-hour period, a new assessment will be held to determine whether drone operations can resume.
At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the establishment of an expert team headed by a brigadier general from the Ground Forces to examine the circumstances of the incident, with the aim of preventing similar incidents from recurring.
The decision applies, among other systems, to the "Atalef" drone, which the IDF has used in operational activity across all combat theaters since the start of the war. The military has not officially confirmed which type of drone was involved in the incident, but it is believed to have been a "Atalef," a drone widely used by IDF forces to eliminate terrorists and destroy targets.
The incident occurred Thursday during an operational mission by Battalion 7007 in the northern Gaza Strip. The battalion's soldiers were flying the drone for the second time that day. The first flight proceeded normally, but during the second, shortly after takeoff, the drone fell inside the outpost and did not explode.
The two soldiers approached it, apparently to determine what had caused the malfunction, and moments later the drone exploded. Both were critically injured and evacuated by helicopter to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, where they were pronounced dead.
The fallen soldiers were Master Sgt. (res.) Nadav Keli, 24, from Har Halutz, and Master Sgt. (res.) Ofek Mualem, 23, from Jerusalem. Their battalion began its operational deployment in the sector about two weeks ago. According to the military, the drone operators were qualified, and the drone met required standards and was approved for use as part of a preauthorized mission.
The IDF is examining several possibilities, including a technical malfunction and human error. The possibility that Hamas interfered with the drone is also being investigated, but is considered unlikely, as the assessment is that the terrorist organization does not possess such a capability.
Their deaths brought the number of IDF fatalities since Oct. 7 to 970, including 474 in the Gaza Strip since the start of the ground offensive.
