Overview
- Israeli authorities say a military helicopter carrying President Isaac Herzog struck birds shortly after leaving a memorial at Mount Herzl and made a precautionary emergency landing at Palmachim Air Base on Thursday.
- No one was injured during the landing and initial checks found no major damage to the aircraft, officials from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported.
- Herzog and the flight crew transferred to a replacement helicopter at the base and resumed the planned condolence visits without further delay.
- The struck helicopter was turned over to Israeli Air Force technical and maintenance teams for a detailed inspection and the military has opened a formal review of the incident.
- Bird strikes are a known hazard at low altitude during takeoff and landing, and investigators will assess factors such as bird activity near flight paths and whether additional wildlife mitigation or procedural changes are needed.