IDF says ‘malfunction’ led to jet bombing Israeli community near Gaza border

An Israeli fighter jet mistakenly dropped a bomb near the Gaza-border community of Nir Yitzhak on Tuesday night, after what the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) described as a “technical malfunction.”
The incident has prompted an internal review, according to the Israeli military.
In a brief statement quoted by CNN, the IDF said, “A short while ago, a munition fell from an IDF fighter jet that was on its way to a mission in the Gaza Strip. The munition landed in an open area near Nir Yitzhak due to a technical malfunction.”
The type of bomb was not specified by the military.
The incident occurred near the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz, located roughly two miles from the Gaza border. A kibbutz spokesman was quoted by CNN saying that the bomb fell in a farm zone belonging to the community and confirmed that they are in contact with military officials. The community expects a “thorough investigation.”
No injuries were reported, and the bomb reportedly did not cause any significant damage. The IDF has launched a probe into the malfunction.
According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Nir Yitzhak is home to about 550 residents.
The kibbutz was among the areas attacked during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023.
As per a YNet report, nearly half of the population has since returned to live there.
Though unusual, such accidents have occurred before. In May 2023, an Israeli jet dropped a munition on Yated, a neighbouring community, which failed to explode and was later retrieved by Israeli forces. A month later, an IDF tank shell misfired during an operation in southern Gaza, landing near the border fence and damaging a vehicle with shrapnel on the Israeli side.
As per news agency TASS, the bomb drop took place “during an attempted airstrike in the Strip” and the malfunction caused the release of the munition over Israeli territory.