An Israel Air Force F-16I fighter jet during a training exercise in Israel, in 2013.

An Israeli Air Force pilot was killed Wednesday as he ejected from his F-16I fighter jet after returning from an airstrike mission in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Air Force struck three Hamas sites in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, after a rocket fired from Gaza exploded in the Israeli border city of Sderot.

The pilot who was killed was identified as Maj. Ohad Cohen Nov, 34, who recently assumed the position of squadron deputy commander. He was survived by his pregnant wife and daughter, as well as his parents and two sisters.

Maj. Ohad Cohen Nov. IDF Spokesperson's Unit

A navigator who was also in the aircraft successfully ejected and escaped the incident unharmed.

It was initially unclear why the jet's crew decided to abandon the aircraft as they were already in the landing stages over the Ramon Air Force base.

The F-16I burst into flames following the ejection of the crew.

Air Force commander Major General Amir Eshel appointed a team of investigators to determine the details of the incident.

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The aircraft, know as the "Sufa" ("Storm") in Hebrew, is the most advanced aircraft currently in service in the Israeli Air Force. The first of these aircraft arrived in Israel in February, 2004 and have been in service ongoingly ever since.

The slightly altered Israeli version of the American-built F-16 has crashed three times during its use by the Israeli Air Force.

During the Second Lebanon War of 2006, a fully-armed F-16I en route to Lebanon for operational activity crashed on the runway when one of its tires exploded during takeoff. The crew all escaped unharmed, but the plane was badly damaged.

In 2010, an F-16I crashed near Mitzpeh Ramon while leading three other planes on a nighttime exercise. In that case, both crew members – Maj. Amichai Itkes and Maj. Immanuel Levy – were killed.

Finally, three years ago, an F-16I crashed during a training flight about 40 miles off the coast of the Gaza Strip. Both crew members escaped unhurt. They later reported that they had experienced an engine failure, and when they were unable to solve the problem, they decided to abandon the plane over the sea.</s>(JTA) — An Israeli Air Force pilot died Wednesday after ejecting from a fighter jet in southern Israel.

The unnamed pilot was in the process of landing at the Ramon Airbase, near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, when he and the plane’s navigator ejected from the F-16I jet. Following the ejection, the plane burst into flames.

The navigator survived and was transported to a hospital with light injuries, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Israeli Air Force Commander Amir Eshel ordered an investigation into the incident.

On Wednesday, Israel’s army and Air Force shelled Hamas targets and hit Hamas posts in northern and southern Gaza after a rocket fired from Gaza exploded on a residential street in the southern Israeli city of Sderot.</s>An Israeli air force pilot has died after he ejected from a fighter jet which had caught fire.

The F-16I jet crash landed while flying in to the Ramon Air Force base in southern Israel.

Deputy squadron commander Major Ohad Cohen Nov was killed as he attempted to escape the flames.

The 34-year-old was reportedly flying his plane back from Gaza, where the Israeli air force says it was launching attacks on Hamas targets in the Gaza strip in an apparent reaction to the bombing of the border town of Sderot earlier in the week.

Major Nov’s co-pilot was injured during the crash and evacuated to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

“The families have been notified and an Air-Force commission to review the circumstances of the crash has commenced,” the air force said in a statement.

“Deputy Squadron Commander, Maj. Ohad Cohen Nov, 34, is the pilot that was killed in the crash earlier today. May his memory be a blessing.”

Israeli police said there were no casualties when a rocket struck Sderot but the air force retaliated by attacking three Hamas training camps, believing the group was responsible for the strike.

“[The rocket attack] is the direct result of Hamas’ terror agenda in the Gaza Strip that encourages deliberate attacks against Israeli civilians,” army spokesman Peter Lerner said in a statement.

Local reports suggest the rocket was launched by members of Ahfad Sahaba, an Isis-affiliated group operating in the area, and had nothing to do with Hamas fighters.

The group posted a statement on various news websites claiming to have carried out the attack in the name of “oppressed brothers and sisters” under Israeli occupation.

Hamas is yet to offer any statement regarding the death of Major Nov, but said of the Israeli attacks in Gaza: “Hamas stresses it can not keep silent if the escalation continues.”

Major Nov’s funeral is due to be held at Moshav Mazor cemetery on Friday morning, the air force confirmed on Twitter.
An Israeli Air Force F-16 crashes while attempting to land at Ramon Airbase in southern Israel, killing the pilot. A navigator who was also in the aircraft successfully ejects and escapes the incident unharmed.