By David Ian Klein November 12, 2020

Six Americans, one French and one Czech citizen died in a helicopter crash while flying over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula Thursday in the area of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The group were part of the Multinational Force and Observers, which says that they have no reason to believe the crash was anything other than an accident, the Times of Israel reported.

The Force and Observers which were left to watch over the region as part of Israel and Egypt’s 1979 peace agreement.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The northern Sinai has been a site of unrest in recent years due to the presence of ISIS affiliated insurgents, prompting the Egyptian government to close the region to foreigners.

Sharm el-Sheikh is a resort town on the Red Sea initially founded under Israeli rule as the Jewish settlement of Ofira

Following the crash, the Israeli army sent a medical rescue team and the one surviving member of the helicopter’s crew is being treated in Israel at a hospital in Beersheva.

The IDF tweeted its condolences, while Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement that the servicemen “lost their lives while bravely protecting the stability, security, and peace of our region.”

The IDF sends its condolences to the families of the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) personnel from @USNationalGuard, @armeedeterre & @ArmadaCR who died in a helicopter crash today.

This event is a tragedy for the MFO, who work to promote stability between Israel & Egypt.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 12, 2020

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount