American fighter jets have reportedly departed Israel, according to an unverified report. No details on the number of aircraft, their destination, or the mission were provided.
The Zioneer has confirmed that the US F-22 Raptor stealth fighter squadron stationed at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel has departed the country, ending a five-month deployment that began with Operation Roaring Lion in February. The confirmation came through a series of updates published at 13:45 Jerusalem today, Friday, July 10, 2026, following initial reports of the withdrawal.
In the first update at 13:45 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that 12 F-22 Raptors had departed Ovda, citing American media, with an expected routing via RAF Fairford in the UK. A subsequent update, citing Israeli journalist Nir Dvori (N12), characterized the departure as the first withdrawal of US fighter jets from Israel since the joint operation began. A later report, citing Israeli journalist Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom), indicated that some aircraft had returned to Britain, but this was corrected in the following update, which stated the squadron returned to the United States. The final update, citing Israeli media, confirmed the squadron's departure from Ovda following the conclusion of Operation Roaring Lion.
As The Zioneer has reported in recent weeks, US military aircraft movements across the Middle East have been extensive, including aerial refueling tankers, fighter squadrons, and transport aircraft. Earlier this week, our desk noted the departure of US refueling aircraft from Israel and the evacuation of 20 US aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport. The withdrawal of the F-22s from Ovda marks a significant drawdown of the US air presence that was built up during the campaign against Iran.
It remains unclear how many of the original 12 aircraft were involved in the departure, whether any US fighter assets remain at Ovda or other Israeli bases, and whether the United States has issued an official statement confirming the withdrawal. The reports are based on Israeli and American media sources and have not been independently corroborated by The Zioneer.
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