Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), is the national <a href="/facts/Military/kgNmLUnN">military</a> of the <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">State of Israel</a>. It consists of three service branches: the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Ground_Forces/SP511FYt">Israeli Ground Forces</a>, the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Air_Force/bcm4GjTf">Israeli Air Force</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Navy/gd9E5BXa">Israeli Navy</a>. It is the sole military wing of the <a href="/facts/Israeli_security_forces/bWGxIqF6">Israeli security apparatus</a>. The IDF is headed by the <a href="/facts/Chief_of_the_General_Staff_(Israel)/4L7rY2IK">Chief of the General Staff</a>, who is subordinate to the <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Defense_(Israel)/ngCFFGLR">Israeli Defense Minister</a>.
On the orders of first prime minister <a href="/facts/David_Ben-Gurion/QVytuG6W">David Ben-Gurion</a>, the IDF was formed on 26 May 1948 and began to operate as a <a href="/facts/Conscription_in_Israel/BqxPTV8P">conscript military</a>, drawing its initial recruits from the already-existing paramilitaries of the <a href="/facts/Yishuv/CuXfIbKj">Yishuv</a>—namely <a href="/facts/Haganah/23nxUEpt">Haganah</a>, the <a href="/facts/Irgun/sC2jPoV1">Irgun</a>, and <a href="/facts/Lehi_(militant_group)/7qNbwRWu">Lehi</a>. It was formed shortly after the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Declaration_of_Independence/vUVGogEm">Israeli Declaration of Independence</a> and has participated in <a href="/facts/List_of_wars_involving_Israel/jxRWYs3D">every armed conflict involving Israel</a>. In the wake of the <a href="/facts/Egypt%25E2%2580%2593Israel_peace_treaty/nBdmKrtE">1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty</a> and the <a href="/facts/Israel%25E2%2580%2593Jordan_peace_treaty/GT3LPRgv">1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty</a>, the IDF underwent a significant strategic realignment. Previously spread across various fronts—<a href="/facts/Lebanon/2dReTXyp">Lebanon</a> and <a href="/facts/Syria/7pDXGzq8">Syria</a> in the north, <a href="/facts/Jordan/JC5sS1oJ">Jordan</a> and <a href="/facts/Iraq/pqYSFJw8">Iraq</a> in the east, and <a href="/facts/Egypt/8Ttg0JwB">Egypt</a> in the south—the IDF redirected its focus towards <a href="/facts/Israeli_occupation_of_Southern_Lebanon/gDwQdbHm">southern Lebanon</a> and the <a href="/facts/Palestinian_territories/pTUwGmIE">Palestinian territories</a>. In 2000, the IDF withdrew from Southern Lebanon and <a href="/facts/Israeli_disengagement_from_Gaza/eyX0ppRu">in 2005 from Gaza</a>. Conflict between Israel and Islamist groups based in Gaza, notably <a href="/facts/Hamas/VjIkApsc">Hamas</a>, has continued since then. Moreover, notable <a href="/facts/Israeli%25E2%2580%2593Syrian_ceasefire_line_incidents_during_the_Syrian_civil_war/VcDyo2Fx">Israeli–Syrian border incidents</a> have occurred frequently since 2011, due to regional instability caused by the <a href="/facts/Syrian_civil_war/UD2gymjC">Syrian civil war</a>.
Since 1967, the IDF has maintained a <a href="/facts/Israel%25E2%2580%2593United_States_military_relations/EuapHwkn">close security relationship with the United States</a>, including in research and development cooperation, with joint efforts on the <a href="/facts/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15E_Strike_Eagle/Vo4eCmzV">F-15I</a> and the <a href="/facts/Arrow_(Israeli_missile)/9txuxGnv">Arrow</a> defence system, among others. The IDF is believed to have maintained <a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapons_and_Israel/GQuaIGcb">an operational nuclear weapons capability since 1967</a>, possibly possessing between 80 and 400 <a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapon/QVdBcMdm">nuclear warheads</a>. The IDF's actions and policies in the Palestinian territories have faced widespread criticism, with accusations of <a href="/facts/Oppression/7Mp3lUwq">repression</a>, institutionalized <a href="/facts/Anti-Palestinianism/w4sD6jY2">discrimination</a>, <a href="/facts/Unlawful_killing/8SCENS44">unlawful killings</a> and systematic abuses of <a href="/facts/Human_rights_violations_against_Palestinians_by_Israel/EV8LIMS0">Palestinian rights</a>.

Israel Defense Forces open-in-new

Israel Defense Forces