Gaza Division

Military unit

Soldiers of the Gaza Division's Desert Reconnaissance Battalion during a military exercise

The 143rd "Fire Fox" Division also known as Gaza Division (Ugdat Aza^{[clarification needed]}) is a division subordinated to Israeli Southern Command. Its area of operation is the border with the Gaza Strip and surrounding area. The division's commander is Brigadier-General Avi Rosenfeld, who replaced Nimrod Aloni in August 2022.^[1][2]

History

The Gaza Division had been entrusted with the safety and security of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip after the Six-Day War in times of peace and armed conflict. In August 2005, the division, along with the rest of the IDF, officially ended its presence in the Gaza Strip as part of Israeli unilateral disengagement when Jewish settlements were dismantled. However, the Gaza Division has repeatedly entered the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups based in Gaza.^[3]

In September 2015 the division was renamed 143rd "Fire Fox" Division.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2023, the division was part of the Battle of Re'im where Hamas temporarily took control of the Re'im Army Base and had taken several Israeli soldiers captive, resulting in the death of Lt. Col. Sahar Makhlouf.^[4]

Division organization 2024

143rd Division "Firefox" organization 2024

•   143rd Division "Firefox"
  • 261st Infantry Brigade (Reserve) (formed by the Israeli Ground Forces' Officers School)
    • Infantry Training Battalion "Geffen" (Infantry Officers Course; doubles as third battalion of the 261st Infantry Brigade)
    • (6261st) Reconnaissance Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8208th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8717th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • Logistic Battalion
    • Signal Company
  • 6643rd Territorial Brigade "Katif" (Southern Gaza)
    • (585th) Bedouin Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 630th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 7015th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8149th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • Logistic Battalion
    • Signal Company
  • 7643rd Territorial Brigade "Gefen" (Northern Gaza)
    • Logistic Battalion
    • Signal Company
  • Division Signal Battalion
  • 414th Field Intelligence Battalion "Nesher/Eagle"
  • Combat Engineer Company "Steel Cats" (Northern Gaza)
  • Combat Engineer Company "Steel Knights" (Southern Gaza)

See also

• Judea and Samaria Division
• Operation Summer Rains (2006)

References

1. IDF Editorial Team (17 August 2022). "New Commanding Officer for the Gaza Division". www.idf.il. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
2. Fabian, Emanuel (9 October 2023). "IDF releases pic of Gaza Division commander, dispelling rumor he was captured by Hamas". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
3. Finkel, Gal Perl (13 October 2018). "Changing the rules in the Gaza Strip comes with a cost". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
4. Abu Hatab, Basma (8 October 2023). "Commander's Death Marks Turning Point in Gaza Conflict". WatanSerb. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.