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 Staff, who holds the rank of Lieutenant General and is the only active officer who does so. The current chief of staff is Herzi Halevi.
The IDF was formally established in May 1948 after the creation of the Jewish State, and it encompassed the three paramilitary groups that 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, Operation Guardian of the Walls, and Operation Swords of Iron.
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 IDF was able to verify that Hamas murdered the Bibas kids and attempted to conceal the evidence of the murders.
Movers and shakers in Israeli society.
Israel targeted with bus bombings, no one injured • Fourth body of returned slain hostages identified as Gazan woman
As the news of the Bibas kids being identified by forensics and Shiri Bibas not having been one of the remains sent back to Israel, many people expressed their condolences and anger online.
Though the bodies of the two murdered young children were a DNA match, the body of their mother, Shiri, was not.
This comes after the IDF announced the results of the forensic investigation which found that one of the hostages remains on Thursday morning was not Shiri Bibas.
Kfir, Ariel Bibas' remains identified, forensics say brothers were brutally murdered • IDF: Third body was 'anonymous'
Reporter's notebook: The 'Post' visits northern communities at Lebanon border after IDF withdrawal.
Israel foils mass bus bombings, slain hostages returned from Gaza • Oded Lifshitz, Ariel and Kfir Bibas' remains identified • Fourth body unidentified, confirmed as not being Shiri Bibas
For those hoping that shared national challenges might bridge the secular-religious divide, Rabbi Landau’s words are deeply discouraging.
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