IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir concluded that the pilot program conducted by the Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj.-Gen. Nadav Lotan, on integrating female combat soldiers into a specialized company within the Yahalom unit, has been successfully completed.
The Chief of Staff instructed the continuation of the integration model for female fighters in Yahalom, as part of the broader approach to strengthening the combat capabilities of the Combat Engineering Corps and expanding the integration of women into combat professions across the IDF.
The pilot program, which lasted about two and a half years, was designed to examine the integration of women into combat roles in the Yahalom special engineering unit.
During the program, three cohorts of female soldiers were recruited and underwent a unique training track, which included specialization in operating special platforms, advanced technologies, and meeting the operational standards of the Yahalom unit.
Over the past two years, commanders from the corps and the Ground Forces refined the operational role of the female fighters according to field requirements. The soldiers took part in hundreds of operational activities in the North and in the Gaza Strip, contributed significantly to the unit’s capabilities, and demonstrated professionalism, determination and high motivation.