New IDF Commando Unit Launched in Response to Surrounding Threats

The rising threats surrounding Israel necessitated the creation of a new commando unit, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot explained at a dedication ceremony.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), at an official ceremony on Sunday, inaugurated a new infantry brigade dedicated entirely to special operations.

The new brigade, dubbed the Commando Brigade, will be comprised solely of infantry special-operations units removed from their previous chain of command structures in order to create this new tactical formation.

“The dangerous winds blowing from Lebanon, threats by the Islamic State, the escalation in Judea and Samaria as well as threats from the southern border, demand the capability of the personnel in this new brigade now more than ever,” stated Lieutenant-General Gadi Eizenkot, IDF Chief of Staff.

The new brigade was put under the command of Colonel David Zini, and will operate as part of the 98th Division of Infantry.

Chosen insignia for new commando brigade (Shay Vaknin/TPS)

According to an IDF Spokesperson, the Commando Brigade, the brainchild of Eizenkot, is the implementation of operational lessons learned after Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 and during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The objective of the units making up the brigade is to perform operations and engage in combat beyond enemy lines.

“The Commando Brigade is not only an integration of the elite teams of the Infantry Corps under one command,” said Commander of the 98th Infantry Division Brigadier General Uri Gordin. “It is also expected to lead operational and tactical thinking, to develop the knowledge and the art of war for special operations, to win wars and to strike our enemies between wars.”

Some of the elite units comprising the Commando Brigade include Maglan, formerly of the Paratroopers Brigade and proficient in Seek and Destroy missions behind enemy lines; and the Egoz Reconnaissance unit, formerly of the Golani Brigade and expert in in counter-terrorism and guerrilla warfare.

The chosen insignia for the new brigade depicts the Hebrew letter Kuf, the first letter in the Hebrew word for Commando, comprised of a commando knife rising from the sea and a double headed arrow above. It symbolizes the special designation of the brigade and its mobility by air, land and sea.

By: Michael Zeff/TPS