The 340th "Idan" Armoured Division ( he, עוצבת עידן) is an Israel Defense Forces

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Regional Command and is located in Camp Nachshonim. As of March 2016, it is commanded by Brigadier-general Avi Gil.

History

Formerly the 880th Division, it was founded in 1974, after the

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by E ...

, as a reserve division. In 1982, during the

First Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...

, the division, which included three armored brigades, remained in command reserve, and entered the eastern front during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub. In 2002, during Operation Defensive Shield, it was responsible for the military occupation of Jenin. In 2005 the unit was responsible for evacuating the northern

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

during the disengagement plan. Between 2005 and 2010, its commander was also the IDF's Chief Armor Officer (head of the Armored Corps), but in April 2010 these roles were separated. Also, in 2010, the division was awarded first place in the Ramatkal prize for distinguished reserve units.Sixteen Distinguished Units Win Ramatkal Prize" (Hebrew)
''

IDF spokesperson The IDF Spokesperson's Unit ( he, דובר צה"ל, ''Dover Tsahal'', abbr. Dotz) is the unit in the IDF Operations Directorate, responsible for information policy and media relations. The unit is led by the IDF Spokesperson, a brigadier general an ...

,'' 22 March, 2010. In 2014, the division underwent reorganization aimed at turning it from an armored division into a light, multi-front division that specializes in

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...

and

urban warfare Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians a ...

Units

* 340th "Idan" Division ** 5th "Sharon" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade ** 16th "Jerusalem" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade ** 847th "Chariots of Steel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade ** 900th "Kfir"/"Young Lions" Infantry Brigade ** 807th Division Signal Battalion

References

{{Israel Defense Forces Military units and formations established in 2005 Central Command (Israel) Infantry of Israel 2005 establishments in Israel Divisions of Israel