An Israeli Air Force helicopter carrying President Isaac Herzog made an emergency landing on Thursday after hitting a flock of birds.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said that the chopper was transporting Herzog from a memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem to northern Israel, where he was due to pay a shiva call.

During the flight, the helicopter was struck by birds and made a landing at the Palmachim Airbase in central Israel. The IDF said that no damage or injuries were caused in the incident.

Herzog and the crew moved to another helicopter and continued their flight as planned, the IDF said.

The military said the helicopter “was transferred to Israeli Air Force technical personnel for maintenance in order to return it to operational service as soon as possible.”

The incident was under further investigation, the IDF added. There was no immediate comment from the President’s Residence.

Speaking at the ceremony on Mount Herzl earlier Thursday, marking 12 years since the 2014 Gaza war — known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge —........

© The Times of Israel