The commander of Hatzerim Base described the tense moments in the cockpit during raids in Iran and the sense of relief on the way back to Israel.
Two days after the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion and the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the commander of the Hatzerim Air Base reviewed the airstrikes against Iran.
“We see with our own eyes the nuclear facilities below us as we bomb them”, said the commander of Hatzerim Base in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet. “We see the ground-to-ground missile sites, and also the fire and smoke we left behind in every strike.”
The IAF planes taking off together and gathering from all of Israel’s air force bases caused a combination of encouragement and anxiety to the pilots.
“You hear the voices of your comrades as the squadron assembles in the air, and you feel” that no one can stop you,” he explained.
The pilots maintain silence until the moment they exit Iranian airspace, “in order to be ready for surprises. Sometimes, there is also small talk in the cockpit. The scenery is magnificent, and on the way back, there is a lot of free time.”
“You fly over Iraq and Syria, which is surreal. Those are enemy countries. We passed over Baghdad, crossed the Tigris and Euphrates on the way back to Syria, and the navigator told me, ‘Abraham started on his journey from here.’ On the way back, when you fly over Syria, you joke about stopping for hummus in Damascus. Perhaps it is a yearning for peace and a different Middle East, but also to relieve the tension. The most wondrous thing is when you return to Israel after flying over vast countries, when Haifa and Jerusalem look like suburbs and neighborhoods compared to them. It is amazing”, he concluded.
