The IDF, or, Israel Defense Forces, is the national military force of the State of Israel and consists of the Israeli Ground Force, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy.
The IDF is headed by the Chief of General Staff, who holds the rank of Lieutenant General and is the only active officer who does so. The chief of staff as of November 2021 is Aviv Kohavi.
The IDF was formally established in May 1948 after the creation of the Jewish State, and it encompassed the three paramilitary groups which existed prior to the state - the Hagana, the Irgun, and the Stern Gang (Lehi).
Since the formation of the IDF, it has participated in six major wars including the War of Independence, the Six-Day War, the Sinai War, the Yom Kippur War, and the first and second Lebanon Wars. Other operations include Operation Cast Lead, Operation Pillar of Defense, Operation Protective Edge, and Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Conscription to the IDF is mandatory for both men and women over the age of 18, with women in non-combat positions serving for two years, and women in combat positions, and men, regardless of position, have a mandatory service of two years and eight months.
In addition to regular military duties and activities, the IDF responds to national emergencies or crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides personnel to carry out work alongside the civilian population.
The Egyptians celebrate this military conflict, where they lost thousands, as a victory, while Israelis, who miraculously turned the tide, see it as a catastrophe.
Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif warned that "if the State of Israel wishes to maintain its alliance with the Druze community - it must set the record straight."
The last time incendiary balloons caused a fire in the Gaza border region was in September 2021.
This comes after a recent string of violent attacks and riots both inside sovereign Israel and at border crossings and checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza.
We are older, wiser, more battle-scarred, and better established as a nation than we were then. But we need to keep our hubris at bay.
“The many acts of heroism during the war in the face of enemy fire are a source of inspiration for us," IDF Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi writes.
Would such a pact be so superior to the current understandings with the US as to warrant giving up the IDF’s freedom of action and possibly limiting Israel’s military options?
The IDF stressed that the buildings were built in violation of the disengagement agreement.
During the arrest of a suspect in Hebron, Israeli forces seized an airsoft rifle and dozens of 5.56 caliber cartridges and shotgun shells, according to photographs published by the military.
Thousands of Gazans with work permits have been unable to enter Israel.
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