The following interview was conducted in late October, shortly after the return of Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, from Hamas captivity and before the launch of the IDF ground operation in Gaza.
Maj. (res.) A., a combat navigator in Squadron 105 of the Ramat David airbase and a medical student, has a ritual before boarding an F-16 plane. She goes around the formidable vessel, examining the wheels, missiles, and connections while braiding her red hair into a long braid. Only then does she climb the metal ladder, takes the seat behind the pilot, and tucks her braid into her uniform.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
She did the same on Oct. 7, after arriving at the base on the day of the surprise onslaught by the Hamas terror organization in southern Israel. Earlier that morning, A. and her fiance, Capt. R., who serves in the same squadron, managed to get to the bomb shelter just moments before a rocket launched by Hamas landed not far from their apartment.
Immediately afterward, the two hurried off to their squadron, R. as a pilot and A. as a volunteer reservist who did not even wait to be called up. While Israelis were glued to their screens watching the atrocities unfold, A. was already in the sky in a jet equipped with smart bombs.
"No one in my family knew yet that the day before the war, on a Friday, we finalized an event hall for our wedding, scheduled in six months," A. told Israel Hayom. "It feels like a few years have passed since then, not three weeks. My whole life has turned upside down. One minute I'm busy with the wedding and university, and the next I'm over Gaza, aiming bombs at strategic Hamas targets."
Since Oct. 7, A. has conducted dozens of sorties, several times a day, most of them at night. She participated in the destruction of terrorist infrastructures and the assassinations of senior Hamas officials. The 105 Squadron destroyed dozens of terror sites, including high-rise towers that stored Hamas assets.
Participating in the same operation is one of 105 Squadron's veterans, commander Lt. Col. T., 36, who prepares the pilots for two war zones – in Gaza and Lebanon.
"With the feeling of pain and loss, there is also a feeling of strength," T. said. "The aircrews understand the mission and strongly believe that we will win. Tens of thousands of fighters are on the borders, and we need to remind ourselves we are the strongest country in the Middle East. If the campaign in the north develops into a war, there will be missiles and deaths, but the balance of power should not be compared. Every day I prefer to be on our side. I have no doubt that we are going to win. We will bring this to an end for our children, change the situation in the Middle East, and return the residents of southern Israel to their homes. This is the goal."
'I have to be focused'
A lot has been said about the Hamas attack and the heroism of the standby units and the civilians in the south. The Ramat David base was among the first to dispatch fighter jets to the border to bomb Hamas targets and try to stop the flow of terrorists into Israel.
A and R. got to the squadron around 08:30 a.m. Half an hour later, she was already sitting in an F-16 and within minutes was flying over Gaza, navigating the aircraft.
Q: Do you think about the Israeli hostages while over the skies of Gaza?
"On my first flight in the war, I made a mistake and concentrated on the safety of family members from the south. I have to be focused on the mission. That's why in the first week I rarely watched the news. My agenda is to attend the briefs, fly, eat, and sleep. It's hard for me to hear the stories, so I disconnected. As part of the pilot course, I prepared for being captured, and it is excruciating to imagine children and civilians being in such situations.
"That Saturday, like most of the military personnel whose job it is to protect the country, I felt that we did not live up to the agreement with the citizens of Israel. Since then, every time I get on a plane in preparation for an attack, I have the feeling that I am helping and restoring what should have done in terms of defense."
Q: What kind of strikes do you participate in?
"We hit whatever is necessary: buildings, senior Hamas members, infrastructure, posts, weapons."
Q: What does it feel like striking senior Hamas terrorists?
"The people behind the massacre need to pay the price. Damage to the weapons, infrastructure, and buildings is important, but in the end, the decision-makers stand behind the attack and we are settling a score."
Q: Can you see from the jet what state Gaza is in?
"During the day, you can see the buildings without the aircraft's technology – the destruction, the smoke, and the dust after the bombing. At night we see below us the launches [of missiles by Hamas] and interceptions [by the Iron Dome] and the explosion when the two collide. In the past, you could see the lights of Gaza's houses, but now it is quite dark. Compared to previous rounds, such as Operation Protective Edge [in 2014] and Operation Guardian of the Walls [in 2021], we are more aggressive. Erase everything that belongs to Hamas, while making sure to evacuate civilians. I'm glad that the IDF goes out of its way to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza, despite the atrocities that Hamas committed against innocent Israelis."
T. added, "No one wants to kill innocents, and we do everything we can to avoid that. You have to maintain your values even during the war. Nevertheless, something has changed in the country with regard to our enemies. In the past, before any attack in Gaza, we would provide a warning by "knocking on the roof" and would even give up on hitting terrorists. Now it's a war situation against a murderous and cruel enemy that spares no means, so it's a different situation. They do not knock on the roof anymore but do ask the citizens to move south so that they will not be harmed. The effort is focused on moving the population because the area is becoming a war zone. It is a military area, and those who stay there know that they are taking a risk."
'The right and moral thing'
Before the first checkpoint to Ramat David, there is an uncharacteristically long line of cars. Hundreds of civilians who served at the base as pilots or as technical staff are on their way to volunteer. A poster at the entrance of the base says, "We fight together, we win together." Below is a large Israeli flag that can be seen by every pilot who takes off.
Ramat David, or as it is officially titled "Kanaf 1", houses three F-16 squadrons and one helicopter squadron. I meet everyone at 105 Squadron, also known as The Scorpion.
T., who is married with two children with another one on the way, grew up in a military family. His father held a senior position in the Armored Corps, as did one of his brothers. T. took the position of squadron commander in January this year.
"We are focused on the mission and focused on the goals, but we are also human beings who were shocked by the descriptions of atrocities," he said. "We talked about it in the squadron and there is no doubt that we are all in the middle of this national trauma. The pain and loss are those of the entire nation and what the right thing to do is clear to everyone. Not only the pilots showed up here in full formation but also the ground crews. This is the people of Israel at its best. We received a painful blow and everyone understands what needs to be done."
Q: Besides eliminating senior Hamas officials, are there any attempts to hit launch sites that launch missiles that are a major disruption for life in Israel?
"The main effort right now is to hit Hamas terrorists and prepare the area for the ground operation. We are hitting the headquarters and anything that could hinder our forces from entering Gaza."
Q: And what about the residents of Ashkelon or Ashdod, who are targeted by rocket fire every day?
"The launch graph is in significant decline, and it is clear that we do not want missiles to hit the home front. The main operational solution is to strike at Hamas operatives. We disrupt their ability to command and control. The purpose of the fighting, as decided by the General Staff and according to the state's strategy, is to dismantle Hamas' operational capacity. Hunting every launcher and stockpile of ammunition is not effective."
Q: How come?
"Because they are very scattered and because we have the Iron Dome, which does an excellent job. In places where there is a concentration of launchers and a mass of rocket launchers toward our forces, we do attack because of operational value."
T. showed me two videos, footage of two strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza in which smart bombs were used.
"There were private homes around, so we had to be careful and the hit needed to be precise," T. explained. "The achievements of the Air Force are significant. We do not decide when the ground op will begin, but we will be with the soldiers in full force."
Q: Does it affect the pilots that the exact location of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip is unknown?
"It's a difficult question. We are in a war for which we have been preparing for 30 years and one of the significant challenges is to put our thoughts aside, including concerns for the family. The overall picture is important and we need to concentrate on the mission. You cannot fly thinking 'what if'. Difficult things can happen in war and you cannot hesitate before every bomb is dropped. If something difficult happens, we will know how to deal with it. We are doing the right and moral thing in Gaza, we have no other solution."
Q: The northern border is also escalating. Is the IDF ready for two war zones?
"The military has been preparing for a multi-arena war in recent years. Currently, a state of war is declared in the south, and the northern arena is secondary. These are mainly exchanges of missiles between the parties. The IDF thwarts infiltration attempts and anti-tank fire and there are quite a few achievements, such as 30 Hezbollah operatives who were eliminated. The squadron is also ready for the northern sector, with a stock of armaments."
Q: And how are the arenas different?
"The level of threat to the warplanes from Lebanon is high and significant, in contrast to Gaza, but it does not harm the sense of security. At the moment, Hezbollah is focused on hitting military targets, so we react in the same way and attack observation posts and anti-tank posts. At the same time, Israeli settlements have been evacuated, with the understanding that the arena could catch fire and we don't want a repeat of Oct. 7 in the north. The Air Force is fully prepared for this arena."
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
A is no stranger to the Lebanese border either.
"I go wherever I am sent and the squadron participated in all the arenas," she said while taking the navigator's seat.
She explained to me about the instruments, and the means of vision and showed me the stick the navigator could use to take over the plane in the event the pilot is injured.
Q: Don't you feel a little lonely here? You cannot see the pilot because of this computer.
"It's a two-seater plane and we're a team by all means. There are single-seat planes where it feels lonely. The navigator communicates with the pilot and is responsible for the armament, with the exception of smart bombs that steer themselves. In the past, a navigator would really steer the plane, but today it is different and he operates sophisticated cameras and systems."
Q: And what does it feel like to drop a bomb?
"You can physically feel the jet get lighter. It's checking that the bomb reaches its destination that is important."
Growing up, A. was not sure whether to become a pilot or a doctor. She now combines the two by studying medicine and volunteering at the 105 Squadron, where she and her fiance now stand on the front line of Israeli defense.
