On June 13, with the start of Israel’s offensive against Iran, the IDF’s "Shadow General Staff" was activated for the first time in history, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday morning.
The "Shadow General Staff" is a senior emergency team designed to ensure operational continuity in the event of significant harm to the military leadership.
According to the report, in a secret and well-protected facility, Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Tamir Yadai sat alongside reserve generals and brigadier generals who had been pre-trained for such an emergency scenario, and who were shown the full combat plans against Iran.
The purpose of the gathering: to ensure command control even in the event of a "complete loss of command" — a rare but tangible scenario, given the rising tensions and escalation with Iran.
This preparation was carried out partly due to fears that Iran might attempt to harm Israeli military leaders following the elimination of senior Iranian military figures as part of the Israeli offensive. Indeed, later in the day, Iran tried to launch precision missiles and drones at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, but the attack was prevented.
The activation of the "Shadow General Staff" underscores the depth of concern over a direct strike on strategic facilities in the heart of Israel and illustrates the security establishment's meticulous preparations for extreme scenarios. Security officials estimate that these preparations helped deter Tehran and significantly reduced the effectiveness of Iran’s retaliatory attack.