An Israeli Air Force helicopter carrying President Isaac Herzog made an emergency landing on Thursday after hitting a flock of birds.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said that the chopper was transporting Herzog from a memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem to northern Israel, where he was due to pay a shiva call.
During the flight, the helicopter was struck by birds and made a landing at the Palmachim Airbase in central Israel. The IDF said that no damage or injuries were caused in the incident.
Herzog and the crew moved to another helicopter and continued their flight as planned, the IDF said.
The military said the helicopter “was transferred to Israeli Air Force technical personnel for maintenance in order to return it to operational service as soon as possible.”
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The incident was under further investigation, the IDF added. There was no immediate comment from the President’s Residence.
President Isaac Herzog attends a state memorial ceremony for Operation Protective Edge at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, June 25, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
Speaking at the ceremony on Mount Herzl earlier Thursday, marking 12 years since the 2014 Gaza war — known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge — Herzog said Israel must move forward with US President Donald Trump’s plan for rehabilitating Gaza.
“It is clear to us today that Operation Protective Edge was the opening signal for a long and painful chain of developments,” Herzog told the gathering. “The memory of all our fallen from Protective Edge accompanies the prolonged and ongoing campaign in Gaza and on all fronts.”
Herzog said that at this point, the IDF controls “approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip. We must now act with all our strength to implement the 21-point plan presented by President Trump, which has received broad international and regional support. The current stage of the plan clearly and unequivocally requires the disarmament of Hamas. This requires the international community, the Board of Peace and all parties involved — certainly the Palestinians.”
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