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 Eyal Zamir.
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.
Raver and three others were killed when a bomb detonated, causing a building to collapse on the troops.
According to the survey, only 37% of Israelis believe the operation will bring the hostages home, while only 38.5% think Hamas will be defeated in Gaza.
Feras Kilani, a BBC Arabic journalist, claimed that he and his team were detained, strip-searched and interrogated by the IDF.
The GHF opened two sites in southern Gaza on Thursday after closing all of its centers the previous day in the wake of shootings in the vicinity of its operations.
The families of Omar Van Gelder, Lior Steinberg, and Alon Farkas, three soldiers killed in Gaza this week, have agreed to donate their organs.
Despite remaining highly motivated, many IDF reservists have demanded that the military take more decisive action to end the war with Hamas.
The foundation briefly paused work on Wednesday due to maintenance of the distribution sites and reopened them on Thursday.
What’s been happening is that the same core domestic issue has been shoring up, threatening to break up nearly every coalition: religion and state.
GHF says aid distribution carried out peacefully • IDF hits Hezbollah drone assembly • Iran orders missile fuel from China
Sirens sounded in accordance with protocol. There were no reports of injuries.
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