Israeli Air Force F-15I Ra'am aircraft, the Israeli Strike Eagle derivative, were documented in Gaza strike operations during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| Israeli Air Force 69 Squadron flew F-15I Ra'am aircraft and was tied to Gaza strike operations during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. | Sources: IAF November 2023 Gaza Sortie, Times of Israel F-15I Gaza Sortie |
| The F-15I Ra'am is the Israeli Strike Eagle variant, so the parent F-15E entry covers this use as Strike Eagle-family use rather than direct U.S. F-15E deployment. | Sources: Weaponsystems.net F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle Fact Sheet |
Timeline
Hamas and other Gaza-based armed groups attacked southern Israel, and Israel began military operations in Gaza.
The IAF reported Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar's operational sortie with 69 Squadron, and the Times of Israel reported that the F-15I-equipped squadron had been striking Hamas targets in Gaza.
Sources: IAF November 2023 Gaza Sortie, Times of Israel F-15I Gaza Sortie
The documented Strike Eagle-family aircraft in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War is the Israeli F-15I Ra'am rather than a U.S. Air Force F-15E airframe. The Israeli Air Force reported in November 2023 that Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar flew with 69 Squadron, the Ra'am squadron at Hatzerim, during an operational sortie over Gaza.
The Times of Israel, citing the IAF article, reported on November 3, 2023 that Bar carried out a sortie and struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The same report identified 69 Squadron as an F-15I fighter-jet unit and said the squadron had been striking Hamas sites in Gaza since the war began on October 7.
Sources: IAF November 2023 Gaza Sortie, Times of Israel F-15I Gaza Sortie
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other Gaza-based armed groups attacked southern Israel and Israel began a military campaign in Gaza.
On November 3, 2023, public reporting tied the F-15I-equipped 69 Squadron to Gaza strike operations when the IAF described Bar's operational sortie with the squadron and the Times of Israel summarized the report in English.
Sources: CFR Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Tracker, IAF November 2023 Gaza Sortie, Times of Israel F-15I Gaza Sortie
The sources support an Israeli long-range strike role for the Strike Eagle family through the F-15I Ra'am. Weaponsystems.net lists the F-15I as the Israeli variant of the Strike Eagle, while the U.S. Air Force describes the F-15E as a two-seat dual-role fighter built for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
For this conflict, the public evidence identifies operational Gaza strike use by 69 Squadron and does not establish a separate U.S. F-15E deployment in the Israel-Hamas War. The catalog row therefore treats the claim as Israeli F-15I use within the F-15E Strike Eagle family.
Sources: Weaponsystems.net F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle Fact Sheet, IAF November 2023 Gaza Sortie, Times of Israel F-15I Gaza Sortie
