helicopter
© Christopher Sadowski
Eight people were killed, including six Americans, on Thursday when a helicopter belonging to a multinational peacekeeping force that monitors the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement crashed in the Sinai Peninsula during a routine mission, officials said.

One American was badly injured in the crash of the UH-60 Black Hawk, which went down near the island of Tiran, the Multinational Force and Observers said.

The Rome-based MFO, which was created by Egypt and Israel after they signed the peace agreement, said the two others killed were a French peacekeeper and a Czech member of the force. It did not release the names of the dead, pending notification of their families.

Israeli and Egyptian officials said the US survivor was evacuated by the Egyptian military and then transferred to an Israeli aircraft for transport to Israel, the Washington Post reported.

"An IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) helicopter carrying elite search and rescue soldiers... evacuated an injured American MFO peacekeeper to an Israeli hospital for medical treatment," the Israeli army said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi sent his condolences to the families of the victims, stressing that "security and stability in the region is extremely important."

The officials said the crash appeared to have been caused by a technical failure and there were no signs of an attack. Islamic militant groups affiliated with ISIS are known to be active in the region.

"During a routine mission in the vicinity of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, eight uniformed members of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) were involved in a helicopter crash," said a statement from the MFO cited by the Military Times.

"We are deeply saddened to report that seven MFO members were killed; this includes five U.S. citizens, one French, and one Czech," it said.

"The MFO will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. At this point, there is no information to indicate the crash was anything except an accident. We greatly appreciate the cooperation and support of Egypt and Israel in the recovery effort," the MFO added.

It did not give a precise location of the crash or say whether the chopper crashed on land or into the Red Sea.

An Egyptian official speaking on condition of anonymity said it went down over Red Sea waters outside the country's territorial boundaries.

The Czech military's chief of staff, Gen. Ales Opata, identified his country's victim in a Facebook post as Sgt. Maj. Michaela Ticha.

"I am terribly sorry. You can never get ready for some things. Condolences to her family," Opata said in a tweet.

Thirteen countries contribute troops to the MFO's mission, which was established as an alternative to the UN, with the US making up the largest contingent, with about 450 personnel among more than 1,150 covering an area of 3,860 square miles.

The other countries are Australia, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Britain and Uruguay.

The MFO's responsibilities include monitoring troop levels along the border and ensuring the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Tiran.

The administration's recent budget calls for $30 million in funding for the organization, but former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley have informed lawmakers that the US may soon plan to withdraw its personnel from the effort, the Military Times reported.

Last year, the US provided $31 million to the MFO, which draws most of its budget in relatively equal proportions from the US, Israel and Egypt, according to the outlet.