The ceremony for the establishment of the Gaza Envelope LOTAR (counterterrorism) Unit in the Gaza Division took place Monday, in the presence of the commanding officer of the Gaza Division.
Also attending the ceremony were BG Avi Rosenfeld, the commanding officer of the Gaza Envelope LOTAR Unit, LTC. (res.) A., security officers, civilian security coordinators of the communities, and the soldiers of the division.
In accordance with the directive of the Chief of the General Staff and as part of the lessons learned from the initial investigations on the ground from the events of the 7th of October, it was decided to establish the unit whose purpose is to provide a quick and available response to terrorist incidents in the Gaza Envelope area. The new unit is part of the "Mashiv Haruach"administrative work of the Border Protection Corps and the Chief Infantry and Paratroopers Officer Headquarters, whose purpose is to improve and rehabilitate the communities defense forces.
The Unit’s force will consist of reserve soldiers, veterans of elite units who live in the communities near the Gaza Strip or its surroundings and will be on standby for activation in the area. The soldiers of the unit will undergo dedicated training and will eventually be trained as skilled soldiers for the area’s challenges.
So far, hundreds of soldiers who are in the selection process have applied for the first training session that will be held in the coming weeks.
LTC. (res.) A., who serves as commanding officer of the Gaza Envelope LOTAR Unit, said, "The formation of the unit in this period contains within it the essence of the story of the State of Israel - from destruction to revival."
A. emphasized "the blow we received on October 7th, the regaining of our composure, the social cohesion, the transition to operating and working together, the beginning of rehabilitation and building the future so that it will be a better and safer place."
"For this reason we have gathered here, in the heart of an area that has been damaged and suffered so much, where we lost our best people, and now we are bringing about the construction of a unit that will serve as a sectoral anchor and a magnet for all those who have the defense of the homeland and the desire to continue contributing to the country in front of their eyes."