Two IDF Reservists Killed as Recovered Drone Explodes Near Beit Hanoun, Northern Gaza

The IDF announced Friday, September 25, 2026, that Master Sgt. (res.) Nadav Kali, 24, of Har Halutz, and Master Sgt. (res.) Ofek Moalem, 23, of Jerusalem, both of the Jerusalem Brigade's 7007th Battalion, were killed the previous day at an army post inside the Gaza buffer zone near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. The soldiers had been operating FPV 'Atalef' explosive drones; one completed its mission, but a second crashed inside the post during takeoff for reasons that remain unclear. When the soldiers approached the downed aircraft several minutes later and picked it up, it detonated, killing them both. The IDF temporarily grounded all small strike drones pending an investigation, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered a brigadier general-led panel to examine the incident. The military said it is also examining whether Hamas used electromagnetic interference to bring down the drone, though it currently assesses Hamas lacks that capability.