Direct proof of use
Israeli F-15 family aircraft were used by Israel in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. The Aviationist's October 12, 2023 survey of Israeli Air Force aircraft in Operation Swords of Iron said Israeli F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, and AH-64 helicopters were being used to strike targets inside the Gaza Strip.
The same report identified a specific F-15 Baz, Israel's F-15A/B/C/D branch, taking off with three GBU-31(V)1 JDAM bombs for a strike mission. It also described a typical F-15 configuration in the air campaign as three GBU-31(V)1 JDAM bombs on the centerline and wing stations plus an Elta ELL-8222 ECM pod.
Sources: Aviationist F-15 Gaza Loadouts
Timeline
On October 7, 2023, the IDF said it launched Operation Swords of Iron after Hamas rocket fire and infiltrations from Gaza, and reported that fighter jets were striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip the same day. Those official updates establish the opening fixed-wing air-campaign context, but they do not identify individual F-15 sorties.
By October 10-12, open-source imagery and reporting had identified Israeli F-15 aircraft in strike configurations for the Gaza campaign. The Aviationist published the F-15-specific loadout evidence on October 12, while later IDF updates continued to describe large-scale fighter-jet strikes in Gaza, including an October 29 report of more than 450 military targets struck over the previous day.
Sources: IDF Real-Time Swords of Iron Updates, Aviationist F-15 Gaza Loadouts, IDF 450 Targets Update
Operational role
The documented F-15 family role was fixed-wing strike during Israel's opening Gaza air campaign. Public evidence centered on the F-15 Baz branch carrying 2,000-pound-class GBU-31(V)1 JDAMs, with the reported typical F-15 configuration also including the ELL-8222 electronic countermeasures pod.
IDF campaign updates describe fighter jets striking Hamas military compounds, operational command centers, observation posts, anti-tank missile launch posts, tunnels, weapons-storage sites, and other Gaza targets. The sources used here support F-15 family participation in strike missions and broader IAF fighter-jet strike context; they do not publicly assign specific Gaza targets, sortie totals, casualty figures, or battle-damage results to individual F-15 aircraft.
Sources: Aviationist F-15 Gaza Loadouts, IDF Real-Time Swords of Iron Updates, IDF 450 Targets Update
