IAF chief backs helicopter pilots after report questioned their actions on October 7

Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar spoke with helicopter crews who fought in southern Israel during the October 7 onslaught, after a recent report chastised the pilots for not engaging a convoy of terrorist pickup trucks near the Nova music festival, where dozens were murdered and abducted.

The military says the claims raised recently against the pilot’s actions by the Kan public broadcaster’s Ayala Hasson and others are “false.”

Despite the army investigating the IAF’s operations that day — and publishing them to the public — Hasson’s report on Kan questioned: “What happened there, why haven’t we heard about it to this day, and will there be a real investigation to check why the terrorists were not eliminated?”

Both the IAF’s investigation and one conducted specifically into the Nova party found that an IAF helicopter flew by the music festival area after it was instructed to reach the Re’im military base, and en route spotted a convoy of pickup trucks driving on Route 232 — the same terrorists who had earlier murdered dozens at the party.

The helicopter crew, however, was unaware of the party’s existence and had no contact with ground troops there. They decided not to open fire at the unknown vehicles driving on a major highway, fearing they might hit civilians or potential hostages being held by the terrorists.

תיעוד בלעדי: מסוק קרב מעל שיירת הטנדרים והמחבלים של חמאס בזמן הטבח בנובה בבוקר 7 באוקטובר @AyalaHasson #חדשותהשבת pic.twitter.com/OrojWit8x0

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 13, 2025

“I back you and the decisions you made that difficult morning. The in-depth investigation that was conducted and presented to me, to the chief of staff, and to the General Staff review teams of the October 7 inquiries reinforces confidence in your decisions and in your actions,” Bar says to the aircrews today, according to the IDF.

“It pained me to see that claims are being raised against you that have no basis in reality and are apparently driven by extraneous considerations. It was important for me to tell you that you are not alone; the entire force and I are behind you, we know the facts and understand the broader picture,” he says.

“From the moment you took off, you acted decisively, sought engagement, attacked and eliminated terrorists throughout the [Gaza border area], even when you did not have a complete operational picture. You tried in every way to connect with ground forces and to assist the brave civilians who were fighting for their lives,” Bar continues.

“The mission was difficult and complex, facing the reality of thousands of terrorists infiltrating the communities and the difficulty of distinguishing between the enemy and our forces. You acted as much as possible under the fog of war. I back and support you,” he adds.