Hatzerim Airbase commander Brig.-Gen. G., whose team took part in Iranian strikes, told Kan News about the Air Force’s experience while conducting the strikes in an interview published Thursday.
“You fly over Iraq and Syria, which is surreal. These are enemy countries," G. recounted, “We passed near Baghdad, crossed the Euphrates and Tigris rivers on our way back to Syria, and the navigator said to me, 'Abraham our forefather left from here.'"
While flying back over Syria, G. said that the pilots joked about stopping for hummus in Damascus. “Maybe it's a longing for peace and a different Middle East, but also to relieve the tension. The most amazing part was when we returned to Israel after flying over huge countries, where Haifa and Jerusalem looked like suburbs and neighborhoods compared to them. It's incredible," the commander said.
"We see the nuclear facilities with our own eyes beneath us as we bomb them," he said emotionally, according to Kan. “We see the surface-to-surface missile sites and also the fire and smoke plumes we left behind with every strike.”
Inspiration for the pilots
G. said that the pilots were inspired by the sight of fighter jets taking off together and gathering from all the bases while they were en route to conduct complex missions in the heart of Iran. He said that these missions are accompanied by feelings of tension and uncertainty.
“On the radio, you hear the voices of the comrades, the squadron commanders, a group of lions leading the fighters toward the missions and targets. When this group assembles together in the air, there is a feeling that no one will be able to stop us," Kan quoted him as saying.
In addition to their strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and its missile program targets, the IAF has intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones en route to Israel since the beginning of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, with a 95% success rate.