Israel's military has been prepared for Palestinian deployment of anti-aircraft systems in the Gaza Strip. The military believes Hamas and other insurgents were beginning to use SA-7 surface-to-air missiles against Israeli helicopters.
Officials said the Israel Air Force was equipping all helicopters that fly over the Gaza Strip with missile warning and countermeasures systems. On Dec. 27, an Israeli combat helicopter was almost struck by what appeared to be a missile fired from the Gaza Strip. The air force has been investigating.