For the first time, the soldiers of the haredi Hashmonaim Brigade's regular company launched operational activities in the Gaza Strip on Sunday with a Torah dedication at the border.
The troops currently operating in Gaza were joined by the brigade's two new companies - the regular brigade, which is currently conducting squad commanders' training, and the reserve brigade, which recently completed its training.
The two entered the battlefield as one battalion, for the first time since the brigade's establishment. The two companies are incorporated in the 98th Division, which is operating in the northern Gaza Strip and northern Gaza City.
The soldiers from the brigade's reserve battalion operated in the Gaza Strip several months ago and eliminated dozens of Hamas terrorists during a direct clash in the heart of the enclave.
The IDF decided that the first class of regular soldiers in the Hashmonaim Brigade would continue directly to squad commanders' training immediately after completing basic training.
The move aims to train, for the first time, a class of haredi commanders who will serve in the haredi combat units. Currently, most of the commanders in the haredi units are religious Zionists or secular.