Two Israeli soldiers killed by explosion of Israeli drone in Gaza, military says

Two Israeli reservists were killed in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli military drone exploded during operations, the Israeli military said Friday.

Master Sgt. (res.) Nadav Kali, 24, and Master Sgt. (res.) Ofek Moalem, 23, were killed Thursday after a small explosive drone they were operating crashed and later exploded, according The Times of Israel.

The soldiers were operating the drone from an Israeli army post in Gaza’s northern buffer zone when the aircraft crashed inside the post for an unknown reason, the military’s preliminary investigation found, The Times of Israel reported.

The soldiers approached the crashed drone several minutes later and picked it up, after which it exploded, killing both men, according to the initial findings.

Both served with the Jerusalem Brigade’s 7007th Battalion. They were taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, where they were pronounced dead.

The Israeli military has temporarily grounded small drones capable of carrying explosive payloads while it investigates the incident, according to The Times of Israel.