Gaza Division
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Gaza Division (Ugdat Aza) is a division of the Israel Defense Forces, subordinate to the Southern Regional Command. Its area of operation is the Gaza Strip and the area surrounding it. The division's commander is Brigadier-General Eliezer Toledano.
History
The Gaza Division had been entrusted with the safety and security of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip after the Six-Day War in times of peace and armed conflict. In August 2005, the division, along with the rest of the IDF, officially ended its presence in the Gaza Strip as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan when Jewish settlements were dismantled. However, the Gaza Division has repeatedly entered the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups based in Gaza.[1]
In September 2015 the division was renamed 143rd "Fire Fox" (Territorial) Division.
In October 2023, the division was part of the Battle of Re'im where Hamas temporarily took control of the Re'im Army Base and had taken several Israeli soldiers captive, resulting in the death of Lt.Col Sahar Makhlouf.[2]
Units
- 143rd "Fire Fox" (Territorial) Division
- "Gefen" (Territorial) Brigade (Northern Gaza)
- "Katif" (Territorial) Brigade (Southern Gaza)
- 414th "Nesher"/"Eagle" Field Intelligence Battalion
- Division Signal Battalion
- "Steel Cats" Heavy Engineer Company (Northern Gaza)
- "Knights of Steel" Heavy Engineer Company (Southern Gaza)
See also
References
- ^ Finkel, Gal Perl (13 October 2018). "Changing the rules in the Gaza Strip comes with a cost". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Commander's Death Marks Turning Point in Gaza Conflict". WatanSerb. 8 October 2023.