Israeli Ground Forces

Israeli Ground Forces
זרוע היבשה
Emblem of the Israeli Ground Forces
Flag of the Israeli Ground Forces
Founded1948; 76 years ago (1948)
Service branches
  • Infantry Corps
  • Armored Corps
  • Artillery Corps
  • Engineering Corps
  • Intelligence Corps
HeadquartersGOC Army Headquarters (Hebrew: מחנה בר-לב, Bar-Lev Camp)
WebsiteOfficial website
Leadership
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Defense Minister Yoav Galant
Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi
General Officer CommandingMajor General Tamir Yadai[1]
Personnel
Active personnel126,000[2]
Reserve personnel400,000[2]
Industry
Domestic suppliers
  • Israel Military Industries
  • Israel Weapon Industries
  • Elbit Systems
  • Elisra
  • Elta
  • Rafael
Foreign suppliers
Related articles
History1948 Arab–Israeli War (1948–1949)
Reprisal operations (1951–1956)
Suez Crisis (1956)
Six-Day War (1967)
War of Attrition (1967–1970)
Yom Kippur War (1973)
1978 South Lebanon conflict (1978)
1982 Lebanon War (1982–1985)
South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000)
First Intifada (1987–1993)
Second Intifada (2000–2005)
2006 Lebanon War (2006)
Gaza War (2008-2009) (2008–2009)
2012 Gaza War (2012)
2014 Gaza War (2014)
Others
RanksIsrael Defense Forces ranks

The Israeli Army, officially known as the Israeli Ground Forces (Hebrew: זרוע היבשה) are the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Service

The military service is held in three different tracks:

  • Regular service (Hebrew: שירות חובה): mandatory military service which is held according to the Israeli security service law.
  • Permanent service (Hebrew: שירות קבע): military service which is part of a contractual agreement between the IDF and the soldier. The soldier agrees to do the job beyond the minimum mandatory service.
  • Reserve service (Hebrew: שירות מילואים): a military service in which citizens are called for active duty of at most a month every year, in accordance with the Reserve Service Law, for training and ongoing military activities and especially for the purpose of increasing the military forces in case of a war.

Sometimes the IDF would also hold pre-military courses (קורס קדם צבאי or קד"צ) for soon-to-be regular service soldiers.

  • Structure GOC
    Structure GOC
  • Israeli officers of the Paratrooper Battalion 890 in 1955 with Moshe Dayan (standing, third from the left). Ariel Sharon is standing, second from the left and commando Meir Har Zion is standing furthest left.
    Israeli officers of the Paratrooper Battalion 890 in 1955 with Moshe Dayan (standing, third from the left). Ariel Sharon is standing, second from the left and commando Meir Har Zion is standing furthest left.
  • Soldiers of the Golani Brigade on the Golan Heights
    Soldiers of the Golani Brigade on the Golan Heights
  • IDF uniform colours
    IDF uniform colours
  • Nahal Brigade soldier with full combat gear
    Nahal Brigade soldier with full combat gear
  • IDF female Military Police wearing skirts with their White caps and belts
    IDF female Military Police wearing skirts with their White caps and belts
  • The unisex Caracal Battalion, which serves in routine security missions
    The unisex Caracal Battalion, which serves in routine security missions
  • Israeli "Netzah Yehuda" recon company in full combat gear prepare for a night raid in the West Bank.
    Israeli "Netzah Yehuda" recon company in full combat gear prepare for a night raid in the West Bank.
  • Merkava – Israeli main battle tank, with 4 generations
    Merkava – Israeli main battle tank, with 4 generations
  • IDF's current (2017) armored fighting vehicles, clockwise: IDF Namer, IDF Caterpillar D9, M270 MLRS and Merkava Mk 4M
    IDF's current (2017) armored fighting vehicles, clockwise: IDF Namer, IDF Caterpillar D9, M270 MLRS and Merkava Mk 4M
  • A profile of a Merkava Mk 4M tank, armed with an IMI 120 mm gun, a M2 Browning .50-cal, a 7.62x51 mm NATO commander's FN MAG, and equipped with the Trophy active protection system
    A profile of a Merkava Mk 4M tank, armed with an IMI 120 mm gun, a M2 Browning .50-cal, a 7.62x51 mm NATO commander's FN MAG, and equipped with the Trophy active protection system

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ "General Staff". Israel Defense Forces. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. p. 331. ISBN 9781032508955.

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