The Egoz Unit (, lit. "
Walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...
Unit", Egoz being the
acronym
An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
for "anti-guerrilla and small-scale warfare"), officially Unit 621, is an elite
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
(IDF) commando unit specializing in anti-
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
,
special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units, such as a recon team, made up of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units and/or military intelligence organizations. Special reconnaissance teams operate behind ...
, and
direct action. It is a part of the IDF Central Command's
89th Brigade (commonly referred to as the
commando
A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines.
Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...
brigade).
The unit specializes in combat in dense terrain, fieldcraft, camouflage, and guerrilla warfare—close-range fighting where the fighter's skill and professionalism are critical to success. The unit operates in all terrains and theaters, focusing mainly on the northern sector.
Egoz also has a unique ordnance platoon, tasked with developing creative solutions and technological innovations to address new challenges encountered on the battlefield and to provide defense against new methods of enemy attack.
The unit's memorial site, commemorating its various incarnations, is located at Nabi Hazuri in the northern
Golan Heights
The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...
.
In its first iteration, the unit was established in 1956 as Sayeret Egoz, a
Northern Command reconnaissance unit, and operated until the end of 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 fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...
in 1974.
History
The current Egoz unit was formed in January 1995 from a team of Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit soldiers, as part of the
Golani Brigade
The 1st "Golani" Brigade (, ''Hativat Golani'') is an Israeli military infantry brigade. It is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigades of the regular Is ...
. It was named after the original Sayeret Egoz unit that operated under Northern Command until 1974. The initiative to establish the unit was driven by then-Chief of Staff
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (; March 18, 1944 – December 19, 2012) was an Israeli military officer and politician. He served as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, as a Member of the Knesset, and as Minister of Transportation and Minister of ...
and Northern Command Commander
Amiram Levin, who sought to revolutionize the fight against
Hezbollah
Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
through new combat doctrines and tactics. The unit was attached to the Golani Brigade due to the claim by its commander,
Moshe Kaplinsky
Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky (Hebrew: משה קפלינסקי; born January 20, 1957) is an Israeli army general and businessman who was CEO of the Israeli subsidiary of Better Place. Most recently, he was Deputy Chief of the General Staff of ...
, that the new unit required the support, mentorship, and logistics of an experienced unit, well-versed in combat in Lebanon.
Egoz was created as a guerrilla warfare unit specifically to fight Hezbollah in the Security Zone of southern
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
. Its first commander was
Erez Zuckerman, a former member of
Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 () is a naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary sayeret, reconnaissance units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence ...
, who led the unit through most of its initial operations. Within six months of its establishment, the unit had already achieved notable successes, including its first operation, during which it killed two Hezbollah militants near the
Hula
Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (''oli'') or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), ''mele''). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli ...
outpost.
In 1997,
Moshe (Chico) Tamir from the Golani Brigade took command of the unit. His tenure was marked by determined fighting against Hezbollah. One of the most notable operations during his command was Operation Wild Nature in September 1997, where the unit killed
Hadi Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah's Secretary-General
Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah (, ; 31 August 196027 September 2024) was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the third secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024.
Bor ...
. The bodies of the militants were later returned to Lebanon in exchange for the remains of
Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 () is a naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary sayeret, reconnaissance units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence ...
commando Itamar Eliyahu, who had been killed in the Shayetet Disaster. Another significant operation during this time was Operation Brilliant Move, in which Tamir led the unit in a mission in Lebanon against a Hezbollah security squad in the village of Aindouriyah, killing eight militants.
2000s

Following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, the unit continued its operations along the northern border, while also becoming involved in
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...
operations in the
West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
. Under the command of
Tamir Yadai, Egoz participated in
Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield ( ) was a 2002 Israeli military operation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the Second Intifada. Lasting for just over a month, it was the largest combat operation in the territory since the 1967 Arab–Israe ...
, including the Battle of Ramallah.
Second Lebanon War
On 20 July 2006, during the
Second Lebanon War, five soldiers from Egoz were killed, and six others were wounded in a battle near the
moshav
A moshav (, plural ', "settlement, village") is a type of Israeli village or town or Jewish settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists between 1904 and 1 ...
of
Avivim
Avivim () is a moshav in Israel, in the northernmost part of Upper Galilee, less than one kilometre (3,000 feet) from the Blue Line with Lebanon. In , its population was .
History Mandatory period
In 1920, Saliha was designated part of Leban ...
, while clearing Hezbollah bunkers in the village of
Maroun al-Ras
Maroun al-Ras () is a municipality nestled in Jabal Amel (Mount Amel) in the district of Bint Jbeil in the Nabatiye Governorate in southern Lebanon. It is located around south east of Beirut, roughly one km (0.62 mi) from the border with I ...
. According to IDF reports, about 20 Hezbollah militants were killed during the
Battle of Maroun al-Ras Battle of Maroun al-Ras may refer to:
* Battle of Maroun al-Ras (2006), a battle of the 2006 Lebanon War
* Battle of Maroun al-Ras (2024), a battle during the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
{{Disambiguation ...
.
Following the war, the unit conducted a series of offensive operations in the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
, alongside the
Golani Brigade
The 1st "Golani" Brigade (, ''Hativat Golani'') is an Israeli military infantry brigade. It is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigades of the regular Is ...
and
Givati Brigade
The 84th "Givati" Brigade () is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade formed in 1947.
During the 1948 war, it was involved in capturing Palestinian villages in operations ''Hametz'', ''Barak'', and ''Pleshet''.
Before Israel's 2005 ...
. In one operation in January 2008, Egoz forces, supported by
armor
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
and
air force
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
units, killed 18 militants, including the son of senior
Hamas
The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
leader
Mahmoud al-Zahar
Mahmoud al-Zahar (; born 6 May 1945) is a Palestinian politician. He is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. Al-Zahar served as foreign affairs minister in the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority Gove ...
. During
Operation Protective Edge
The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge (, ), and Battle of the Withered Grain (), was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory that has been governed by Hamas since ...
in 2014, the unit killed approximately 50 militants while fighting in the
Shejaiya neighborhood. On the 14th day of the operation, the unit's commander, Lt. Col. Yonatan Rumm, was seriously injured by an
anti-tank missile
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a missile guidance, guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy armoured fighting vehicle, heavily armored military v ...
. His predecessor, Lt. Col. Pini Yosef, took over and led the unit in further combat operations.
Establishment of the Commando Brigade and after
On 24 December 2015, Egoz officially parted ways with the
Golani Brigade
The 1st "Golani" Brigade (, ''Hativat Golani'') is an Israeli military infantry brigade. It is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigades of the regular Is ...
, and on 27 December, it joined the newly formed
Oz Brigade
The 89th Brigade "Oz" ("Courage" in Hebrew) is a special forces brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was established in December 2015. The new brigade, dubbed the Commando Brigade, is composed solely of infantry special-operations units ...
.
The unit participated in
Operation Guardian of the Walls in Gaza, targeting dozens of anti-tank and rocket-launching sites and killing multiple militants.
In July 2023, Egoz took part in Operation House and Garden in the area of
Jenin
Jenin ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and is the capital of the Jenin Governorate. It is a hub for the surrounding towns. Jenin came under Israeli occupied territories, Israeli occupation in 1967, and was put under the administra ...
refugee camp, conducting offensive operations and dismantling terrorist infrastructure. During the operation, Egoz soldier Sgt. David Yehuda Yitzhak was killed in a firefight.
The unit has lost 17 soldiers since the start of the
Gaza war
The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
(as of October 2024).
[https://www.idf.il/%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%94/?unit=%D7%97%D7%98%D7%99%D7%91%D7%AA+%D7%94%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%95&1/]
Unit Commanders
Gallery
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Soldiers from the Elite Egoz Unit Take Their Final Test (3).jpg, Egoz soldiers during final test
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Soldiers from the Elite Egoz Unit Take Their Final Test (5).jpg, Egoz soldiers during a unit training
File:Egoz September 2020, VIII.jpg, Egoz unit exercise with helicopters
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Soldiers from the Elite Egoz Unit Take Their Final Test (7).jpg, Egoz soldiers during a battalion training
File:פעילות הכוחות 02.jpeg, Egoz soldier during "Operation Beit V'Gan"
File:פעילות הכוחות 16.jpg, Egoz sniper during "Operation Beit V'Gan"
File:Egoz September 2020, X.jpg, Egoz soldier operating a drone
File:Egoz September 2020, II.jpg, Egoz soldiers during an exercise
File:Egoz September 2020, IX.jpg, Egoz soldier during an exercise
File:Iron Swords-Egoz unit-003.jpg, Egoz soldiers in Khan Yunis
File:Iron Swords-Egoz unit-004.jpg, Egoz soldier in the streets of Khan Yunis
File:Iron Swords-Egoz unit-005.jpg, Egoz soldiers fighting in Khan Yunis
File:Oz brigade (II).jpg, Egoz soldiers training in the northern arena
File:Iron Swords-Egoz unit-June 2024.png, Egoz soldiers fighting in Rafah
File:Iron Swords-Egoz unit-007.jpg, Egoz soldiers fighting in Rafah
See also
*
11th 'Yiftach' Brigade – reserve formation made up of mostly Egoz veterans
*
Sayeret
Special forces units in the Israel Defense Forces encompass a broad definition of specialist units. Such units are usually a regiment or a battalion in strength.
Sayeret (, pl.: ''sayarot''), or ''reconnaissance'' units in the Israel Defense F ...
, Hebrew term for 'special reconnaissance unit'
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egoz Unit
Military units and formations of Israel
Northern Command (Israel)
Special forces of Israel
Military counterterrorist organizations
Military units and formations established in 1956