Operations Directorate

Summary

The Israeli Operations Directorate (Hebrew: אגף המבצעים, Agaf HaMivtza'im) is a branch in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, established in 1999, alongside the regional commands, the air force and navy. Since June 2021, it is headed by Aluf Oded Basyuk.

Operations Directorate
אגף המבצעים
Active1999–present
Country Israel
Allegiance Israel Defense Forces
Commanders
Current
commander
Aluf Oded Basyuk
Insignia
Flag

Tasks edit

The directorate has the following responsibilities:

  • Preparing the IDF for war, emergencies, and day-to-day security
  • Deriving an operational strategy from the national security agenda and military doctrine
  • Coordinating the IDF's work with the other security forces, and drafting IDF recommendations for the political echelon
  • Instructing the regional command, air force, navy, GOC Army Headquarters and other directorates, with respect to the exercise of force and its coordination

Units edit

Commanders edit

The list includes those who served as heads of operations prior to when it was spun off from the IDF's General Staff. The list also includes pre-IDF Haganah commander Yigael Yadin who also served in that capacity during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Dan Halutz, who original served as the Aide to Chief of the Operations Branch, was appointed to the head of the Operations Directorate soon after its establishment.

Name Term start Term end Notes
Yigael Yadin November 16, 1947 (1947-11-16) November 9, 1949 (1949-11-09)
Mordechai Maklef November 14, 1949 (1949-11-14) December 7, 1952 (1952-12-07)
Moshe Dayan December 17, 1952 (1952-12-17) December 6, 1953 (1953-12-06)
Yosef Avidar December 22, 1953 (1953-12-22) February 15, 1955 (1955-02-15)
Meir Amit February 23, 1955 (1955-02-23) May 28, 1955 (1955-05-28) Later Director of Mossad
Haim Laskov August 28, 1955 (1955-08-28) July 24, 1956 (1956-07-24)
Meir Amit October 5, 1956 (1956-10-05) January 26, 1958 (1958-01-26)
Tzvi Tzur 1958
Meir Zorea September 10, 1958 (1958-09-10) April 28, 1959 (1959-04-28)
Yitzhak Rabin April 28, 1959 (1959-04-28) January 23, 1961 (1961-01-23) 5th Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin January 23, 1961 (1961-01-23) December 30, 1963 (1963-12-30)
Haim Bar-Lev January 1, 1964 (1964-01-01) April 27, 1966 (1966-04-27)
Ezer Weizman April 27, 1966 (1966-04-27) December 14, 1969 (1969-12-14) Later President of Israel
David Elazar December 23, 1969 (1969-12-23) January 1, 1972 (1972-01-01)
Israel Tal January 1, 1972 (1972-01-01) June 28, 1973 (1973-06-28)
Rehavam Ze'evi November 2, 1973 (1973-11-02) January 16, 1974 (1974-01-16)
Yitzhak Hofi January 16, 1974 (1974-01-16) April 16, 1974 (1974-04-16) Later Director of Mossad
Herzl Shafir April 16, 1974 (1974-04-16) March 1, 1976 (1976-03-01) Later Commissioner of Police
Yekutiel Adam March 2, 1976 (1976-03-02) August 25, 1977 (1977-08-25)
Rafael Eitan August 25, 1977 (1977-08-25) April 7, 1978 (1978-04-07)
Yekutiel Adam 1978 (1978) January 1982 (1982-01)
Moshe Levi January 1982 (1982-01) 1983 (1983)
David Ivry 1983 (1983) 1985 (1985)
Dan Shomron January 17, 1985 (1985-01-17) October 1, 1986 (1986-10-01)
Amir Drori October 1, 1986 (1986-10-01) April 6, 1987 (1987-04-06)
Ehud Barak May 7, 1987 (1987-05-07) March 13, 1991 (1991-03-13) 10th Prime Minister
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak March 13, 1991 (1991-03-13) November 29, 1994 (1994-11-29)
Matan Vilnai November 29, 1994 (1994-11-29) September 15, 1997 (1997-09-15)
Shaul Mofaz September 15, 1997 (1997-09-15) June 11, 1998 (1998-06-11)
Uzi Dayan June 11, 1998 (1998-06-11) June 27, 1999 (1999-06-27)
Dan Halutz June 27, 1999 (1999-06-27) September 15, 2000 (2000-09-15)
Giora Eiland September 15, 2000 (2000-09-15) January 25, 2001 (2001-01-25)
Dan Harel January 26, 2001 (2001-01-26) 2003 (2003)
Israel Ziv 2003 (2003) 2005 (2005)
Gadi Eizenkot June 2005 (2005-06) October 12, 2006 (2006-10-12)
Tal Russo October 12, 2006 (2006-10-12) October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04)
Yaakov Ayash October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04) September 6, 2012 (2012-09-06)
Yoav Har-Even September 6, 2012 (2012-09-06) May 26, 2015 (2015-05-26)
Nitzan Alon May 26, 2015 (2015-05-26)

Assistant Head of the Operations Branch edit

The list is of those who served as Assistant Head of the Operations Branch prior to establishment of the Operations Directorate in 1999.

Name Term Notes
Tzvi Tzur 1950–1951
Haim Ben-David 1951–1953
Ilan Meyer 1953–1954
Asaf Simhoni 1954–1956
Meir Zorea 1956
Uzi Narkiss 1956–1957 During Sinai War
Ariel Amiad 1957–1958
Shalom Iron 1958–1960
Israel Tal 1961
Oded Masar July to December 1961
Yeshayahu Gavish 1961–1962
Elad Peled 1962–1963
Gideon Elrom 1963–1964
Rehavam Ze'evi 1964–1968 During Six-Day War
Yitzhak Hofi 1968–1969
Herzl Shafir 1969–1971
Yona Efrat 1971–1973
Arie Levy 1973–1974 During Yom Kippur War
Mordechai Tzipori 1974–1976
Avigdor Ben-Gal 1976
Natan Sharoni 1976–1978
Eitan Barak 1978–1980
Uri Simchoni 1980–1981
Giora Ram-Forman 1981–1983 During the First Lebanon War
Uri Sagi 1983–1986
Amram Mitzna 1986–1987
Giora Romm 1987–1989
Zeev Livne 1989–1992
Nehemiah Tamari 1992–1993
Meir Dagan 1993–1995
Eitan Ben Eliyahu 1995–1996
Gabi Ashkenazi 1996–1998
Dan Halutz 1998–1999 Post terminated; Halutz became head of the Operations Directorate

References edit

See also edit