The IDF on Thursday announced that the first woman ever has graduated from the incredibly intensive General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal) special forces course, and will join operations in the future.
The pilot program for women to join elite units in general, and Sayeret Matkal in particular, began in December 2024 and has involved the female soldier enduring over 18 months of training and being pushed to the limit.
According to the IDF, the female soldier met all of the extremely high criteria for Sayeret Matkal.
The exact placement of the female soldier is still to be determined, as Sayeret Matkal has different divisions and a variety of unique, dynamically changing roles from operation to operation.
In addition, the success of the female soldier is being taken up by the IDF high command to potentially increase efforts in this direction in the future.
Historic milestone, female soldier completes Sayeret Matkal course
In a time period when the IDF is profoundly short on human resources following major losses of soldiers from deaths and being wounded over years of war since 2023, the military said the integration of all persons who can serve at every level is the "command of the moment."
In recent years, there were already women in elite units, but the few who had been found eligible for Sayeret Matkal training eventually washed out during the 18-month training course.
Now that this female soldier has cracked a new glass ceiling, the only remaining IDF unit without women to date will be Shayetet 13, Israel's Navy SEALs unit.
Sayeret Matkal is Israel's top special forces unit for on-land covert operations, including behind enemy lines.