Unit 888 “Refaim” (. lit. "Ghost Unit") is a combined special operations task force within the 99th Infantry Division, established in 2019 by

Israeli Chief of Staff The Chief of the General Staff, also known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Defense Forces (, abbreviated ''Ramatkal''—), is the supreme commander and head of the Israel Defense Forces. The current Chief of the General Staff is Aviv Koch ...

Aviv Kokhavi Rav-Aluf (Lieutenant General) Aviv Kochavi ( he, אביב כוכבי; born 23 April 1964) is the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, having taken the oath of office on January 15, 2019. He was the commander of the Gaza Division, ...

Concept

The unit operates in all battle arenas to detect, attack, and destroy the enemy in all theaters of operation and in all domains, combining the capabilities of

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

anti-tank warfare Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first devel ...

, air and

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...

all into one Special Operations Force. The unit is also tasked with proving new operational technology on the battlefield that could serve as potential technology for other units. Unit 888s operators go through physical, mental, and overall characteristics selection before starting training. Due to the unit's tasks and the intense mix of battle and technology, soldiers are tested in creativity and problem-solving, as well as undergoing regular special forces selection processes. Combat training includes enduring extreme physical and mental challenges over 14–16 months, which not all participants can complete. Those who successfully complete training may receive additional training, including medical, sniper, and other undisclosed courses. They then continue their service by participating in classified operations of multiple types, training and preparing for their next deployment. In February 2020, the order of foundation of the unit was approved, and a symbol was revealed: a Sword built into the number eight, with arrows nested in different directions. On 7 October 2023, unit commander

Roi Levi Roi Yosef Levy (; 29 May 1979 – 7 October 2023) was an officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with the rank of colonel who served in his last position as commander of the Multidimensional Unit. He had previously served as commander of ...

was killed by

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...

in the

battle of Re'im The battle of Re'im (, ) took place on 7 October 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, initiating the Israel–Hamas war. At 10:00 am, less than five hours after Hamas attacked, fighting was reported outside of the Re'im Army Base, which is headq ...

.https://www.timesofisrael.com/authorities-name-44-soldiers-30-police-officers-killed-in-hamas-attack/

Gallery

File:Establishment ceremony of the multidimensional unit. I.webm File:Establishment ceremony of the multidimensional unit. III.jpg File:Establishment ceremony of the multidimensional unit. IV.jpg File:Establishment ceremony of the multidimensional unit. V.jpg File:Establishment ceremony of the multidimensional unit. VI.jpg

References

External links

Such a unit was never in the IDF – until today
on

IDF IDF or idf may refer to: Defence forces * Irish Defence Forces * Israel Defense Forces *Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006 * Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917 Organizations * Israeli Diving Federation * Interac ...

website, January 2020 {{Israel-org-stub Special forces of Israel Military units and formations established in 2019