IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the establishment of an expert team to investigate the recent operational accident in which two IDF soldiers were killed, the military announced on Friday.
The team, led by a ground forces brigadier-general, will examine the incident in order to ensure a similar one does not occur again.
In addition, following the accident, the IDF grounded all attack drones for 48 hours, after which it will conduct a renewed assessment.
The “Atalef” (bat) suicide drone involved in the incident has been in operational use by the IDF since the start of the war.
Two IDF soldiers killed while operating drone
The two soldiers killed were Maj. (res.) Nadav Kali, 24, from Har Halutz, and Maj. (res.) Ofek Moalem, 23, from Jerusalem.
The soldiers were operating a drone and successfully completed their first operation, 99th Division chief Brig.-Gen. Elad Tzuri said.
However, during the second operation, the drone crashed within their outpost in the northern Gaza Strip. The two soldiers went to investigate the crash site, at which time the drone exploded, Tzuri said.
On Friday, Moalem was buried at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl Military Cemetery, and Kali was laid to rest at the Misgav Cemetery in the Lower Galilee.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday mourned the deaths of the IDF reservists, saying that “Nadav and Ofek were courageous reserve soldiers who defended Israel’s security. We embrace their families in this difficult hour and send them our heartfelt condolences.”
He added that following the tragedy, “all the necessary lessons must be learned and implemented to ensure the safety and security of IDF soldiers.”
James Genn and Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.