Egyptian Chopper Strays Over Gaza

The pilot of an Egyptian helicopter lost in the fog found himself over the Gaza Strip and under fire from Hamas militants Monday until Israeli warplanes escorted his aircraft back across the border, Egyptian and Israeli security officials said.

The red-and-white chopper strayed into the narrow coastal strip between Israel and Egypt shortly after Israeli forces withdrew from northern Gaza, concluding an offensive against rocket squads.

Hamas mistook the Egyptian aircraft for an Apache attack helicopter used by Israel in airstrikes and tried to shoot it down, the militant group said. There were no reports of injury to the pilot or any passengers.

The Israeli military said its radar picked up an unidentified aircraft crossing into Gaza airspace, which Israel controls. Fearing an attack, Israel scrambled jet fighters to investigate.

After a few tense minutes, Israeli radio operators contacted the pilot, who said he had lost his way. Israeli planes then escorted the wayward chopper back to the Egyptian border.

An Egyptian security official said the aircraft belonged to an oil company, while an Israeli defense official said it was a military helicopter. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979 but relations between them are cool.