The IDF is establishing a dedicated unit to protect the communities in the Gaza border area, aiming to provide "a rapid and available response to terrorist incidents in the sector."
The Gaza Envelope LOTAR unit in Division 143 will be made up of reservists and veteran elite unit operatives living in or near the border communities; the unit will be on standby for deployment in the sector, to provide a quick, efficient response when needed.
The IDF spokesperson stated that the soldiers in the unit will undergo specialized training, after which they will be "certified as skilled operatives for the sector's challenges."
The unit's formation follows IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi's directive based on lessons learned from the initial field investigations of the October 7 terror attack. Hundreds of soldiers have applied to join the unit and are currently undergoing the selection process ahead of the establishment training set to take place in the coming weeks.
The unit is part of the Mashiv Haruach staff work of the Border Defense Corps and the Infantry and Paratroopers Corps, aimed at improving and rehabilitating community defense forces.
On Tuesday, a ceremony marking the unit's establishment was held in the presence of Division Commander Brig. Gen. Avi Rosenfeld, Unit Commander Lt. Col. (Res.) A, security officers, community security coordinators and division personnel. "The establishment of the unit during this period encapsulates the essence of Israel's story - from destruction to rebirth," said the unit commander at the ceremony.
"The blow we received on October 7, the subsequent recovery, social cohesion, transition to combat and joint action, the beginning of rebuilding and creating a safer future. This is why we gathered here, in the heart of a region that has been battered and suffered so much, where we lost our best people, and now are bringing about the creation of a unit that will serve as a regional anchor and a magnet for all those committed to defending the homeland and continuing to contribute to the state," he added.