The list includes those who served as heads of operations prior to when it was spun off from the IDF's General Staff. The list also includes pre-IDF Haganah commander Yigael Yadin who also served in that capacity during the Israeli Independence War. Dan Halutz, who original served as the Aide to Chief of the Operations Branch, was appointed to the head of the Operations Directorate soon after its establishment.
| Name |
Term start |
Term end |
Notes |
| Yigael Yadin |
November 16, 1947 (1947-11-16) |
November 9, 1949 (1949-11-09) |
|
| Mordechai Maklef |
November 14, 1949 (1949-11-14) |
December 7, 1952 (1952-12-07) |
|
| Moshe Dayan |
December 17, 1952 (1952-12-17) |
December 6, 1953 (1953-12-06) |
|
| Yosef Avidar |
December 22, 1953 (1953-12-22) |
February 15, 1955 (1955-02-15) |
|
| Meir Amit |
February 23, 1955 (1955-02-23) |
May 28, 1955 (1955-05-28) |
Later Director of Mossad |
| Haim Laskov |
August 28, 1955 (1955-08-28) |
July 24, 1956 (1956-07-24) |
|
| Meir Amit |
October 5, 1956 (1956-10-05) |
January 26, 1958 (1958-01-26) |
|
| Tzvi Tzur |
1958 |
|
|
| Meir Zorea |
September 10, 1958 (1958-09-10) |
April 28, 1959 (1959-04-28) |
|
| Yitzhak Rabin |
April 28, 1959 (1959-04-28) |
January 23, 1961 (1961-01-23) |
5th Prime Minister |
| Yitzhak Rabin |
January 23, 1961 (1961-01-23) |
December 30, 1963 (1963-12-30) |
|
| Haim Bar-Lev |
January 1, 1964 (1964-01-01) |
April 27, 1966 (1966-04-27) |
|
| Ezer Weizman |
April 27, 1966 (1966-04-27) |
December 14, 1969 (1969-12-14) |
Later President of Israel |
| David Elazar |
December 23, 1969 (1969-12-23) |
January 1, 1972 (1972-01-01) |
|
| Israel Tal |
January 1, 1972 (1972-01-01) |
June 28, 1973 (1973-06-28) |
|
| Rehavam Ze'evi |
November 2, 1973 (1973-11-02) |
January 16, 1974 (1974-01-16) |
|
| Yitzhak Hofi |
January 16, 1974 (1974-01-16) |
April 16, 1974 (1974-04-16) |
Later Director of Mossad |
| Herzl Shafir |
April 16, 1974 (1974-04-16) |
March 1, 1976 (1976-03-01) |
Later Commissioner of Police |
| Yekutiel Adam |
March 2, 1976 (1976-03-02) |
August 25, 1977 (1977-08-25) |
|
| Rafael Eitan |
August 25, 1977 (1977-08-25) |
April 7, 1978 (1978-04-07) |
|
| Yekutiel Adam |
1978 (1978) |
January 1982 (1982-01) |
|
| Moshe Levi |
January 1982 (1982-01) |
1983 (1983) |
|
| David Ivry |
1983 (1983) |
1985 (1985) |
|
| Dan Shomron |
January 17, 1985 (1985-01-17) |
October 1, 1986 (1986-10-01) |
|
| Amir Drori |
October 1, 1986 (1986-10-01) |
April 6, 1987 (1987-04-06) |
|
| Ehud Barak |
May 7, 1987 (1987-05-07) |
March 13, 1991 (1991-03-13) |
10th Prime Minister |
| Amnon Lipkin-Shahak |
March 13, 1991 (1991-03-13) |
November 29, 1994 (1994-11-29) |
|
| Matan Vilnai |
November 29, 1994 (1994-11-29) |
September 15, 1997 (1997-09-15) |
|
| Shaul Mofaz |
September 15, 1997 (1997-09-15) |
June 11, 1998 (1998-06-11) |
|
| Uzi Dayan |
June 11, 1998 (1998-06-11) |
June 27, 1999 (1999-06-27) |
|
| Dan Halutz |
June 27, 1999 (1999-06-27) |
September 15, 2000 (2000-09-15) |
|
| Giora Eiland |
September 15, 2000 (2000-09-15) |
January 25, 2001 (2001-01-25) |
|
| Dan Harel |
January 26, 2001 (2001-01-26) |
2003 (2003) |
|
| Israel Ziv |
2003 (2003) |
2005 (2005) |
|
| Gadi Eizenkot |
June 2005 (2005-06) |
October 12, 2006 (2006-10-12) |
|
| Tal Russo |
October 12, 2006 (2006-10-12) |
October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04) |
|
| Yaakov Ayash |
October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04) |
September 6, 2012 (2012-09-06) |
|
| Yoav Har-Even |
September 6, 2012 (2012-09-06) |
|
|
The list is of those who served as Assistant Head of the Operations Branch prior to establishment of the Operations Directorate in 1999.
