IDF Ground Forces Reflect on a Year of Combat and Prepare for the Next War

December 6, 2024

by: Yoav Zitun ~ Ynetnews

Friday, 6 December 2024 | The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] Ground Forces Command on Thursday reviewed its operations in Gaza and northern Israel, preparing for continued combat against Hamas in the coming years, regardless of potential hostage deals.

The briefing highlighted challenges and lessons learned from the fighting in Gaza, which marked the military’s first large-scale maneuver in 17 years.

Military officials acknowledged that in the two weeks following Hamas’s October 7 attacks, there was significant internal opposition to the idea of a ground invasion. “For every supporter of the maneuver, there was an opponent,” said an IDF source. “But those familiar with the ground forces were not surprised by the success of the soldiers and their capabilities.”

The officials noted that initial operations were slower as forces adapted to the terrain and tactics. “We had to learn the area, the enemy and the pathways to what is now a defeated terrorist organization, stripped of its primary capabilities, including launching rockets,” they said. The IDF emphasized that units, such as the 252nd Division, had not conducted maneuvers of this scale since the First Lebanon War [1982].

The early stages of the Gaza campaign were marked by difficulties in locating and neutralizing terrorists hiding in buildings. “At first, we thought we’d simply seal tunnel shafts and move forward. Today, our forces are maneuvering within the tunnels,” an official said.

However, the IDF and the Israeli government have yet to achieve the war’s declared objectives: returning hostages held by Hamas and dismantling the terrorist group’s military and governing capabilities. “The IDF is capable of dismantling Hamas militarily, but the army cannot establish an alternative government,” a military official said.

The Ground Forces Command identified combat engineering battalions as a critical need after more than a year of prolonged warfare. A new regular battalion is already being established, and the elite Yahalom engineering unit, which has tripled in size since Operation Protective Edge in 2014, is set to expand further.

The military also awaits the arrival of 132 D9 bulldozers purchased from the United States. Their delivery has been delayed due to an informal arms embargo imposed by the Biden administration.

Throughout the months of fighting, the Ground Forces Command managed to add no fewer than 100 new engineering vehicles to its arsenal, sourced primarily from civilian companies and local purchases.

The Command also plans to bolster its forces by establishing new territorial defense battalions as part of the military’s lessons learned from the October 7 attacks, aimed at strengthening border security.

Additionally, the IDF intends to form a tactical air defense battalion to protect maneuvering forces from threats like drones and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], operating within brigade-level frameworks without reliance on the air force.

“The ground forces must reduce dependence on the air force, allowing it to focus its resources on strikes and operations in third-ring countries like Iran and Yemen. This means bringing more firepower and equipment to soldiers on the ground,” IDF officials said.

The military also plans to upgrade two brigades, likely from the reserves, into armored brigades equipped with Namer APCs [armored personnel carriers]. “Some armored brigades were not prepared for war because that’s how we trained them,” officials admitted. “We’ve closed gaps, but there’s still a lot of work ahead.”

Despite challenges, the Ground Forces Command expressed satisfaction with the fighting spirit of the troops, particularly among reservists who continue to rise to the mission under significant strain.

“At the start of the war, we studied foreign armies where morale dropped after 33 days of fighting, requiring troops to be rotated out. That hasn’t happened here—in fact, the opposite is true,” officials noted.

The command also acknowledged gaps and weaknesses yet to be resolved: Partial network communication between command centers and field HQs; operational continuity failures on October 7, when Gaza Division command centers were disabled for hours; insufficient firepower for ground troops, forcing them to rely on aerial support; outdated operational mobility, relying on aging Hummers, converted trucks and a limited number of APCs deemed inadequate for the mission.

Officials admitted the pace of acquiring new equipment remains slow. However, there was a significant personnel development: the upcoming recruitment of the first female soldiers to the paratrooper mobility unit, part of the military’s effort to integrate more women into combat roles.

Iranian Missiles and Tunnels: The Next War

As part of their analysis of the war, senior IDF officials are already outlining the anticipated patterns of the next war. They foresee a multi-front “strategic spread” against Israel, featuring enhanced coordination between Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. This would include increased use of ground-launched missiles that do not require direct line of sight, such as Hezbollah’s Iranian-manufactured Almas anti-tank missiles, as well as continued reliance on tunnels, which have proven highly effective, particularly in Gaza. New tunnels or re-excavated ones are expected to play a significant role.

“The IDF’s upcoming rearmament must focus on capabilities that allow for rapid victories in short wars on enemy territory, filling gaps currently evident in the ground forces,” officials said.

Since the war began, the ground forces have procured approximately 15,000 new drones for combat intelligence, 23,000 new M4 rifles, 10,000 night-vision devices for troops, 22,000 advanced sights for soldiers’ weapons, 30,000 tactical helmets, 150,000 ceramic armor plates, 4,000 new vests for armored corps troops and more—all without relying on donations.

The Ground Forces by the Numbers

The IDF on Thursday presented data highlighting the scale of its ground forces, the largest and most central branch of the military: 19,000 career soldiers, 4,500 civilian employees, 230,000 reservists, 133,000 spare parts, over 10,000 armored vehicles (which covered over a million kilometers or 620,000 miles in the past year), 27 prepositioned equipment bases and 571 types of munitions.

During the months of fighting, the ground forces deployed 17 Eitan APCs, 27 new tanks, 500 perimeter cameras for armored vehicles, 28 Namer APCs, 2,000 precision mortar shells of the Iron Sting type, 15,000 shoulder launchers and more to combat units.

Additionally, the IDF announced a decision to relocate observation personnel to rear command centers rather than frontline outposts in both the Gaza Division and the Galilee Division. These command centers will be situated in the sector but at a safer distance, a change implemented as part of the lessons learned from October 7.

The ground forces have also developed a comprehensive plan to strengthen the role of observation personnel. Soon, they will be permanently equipped with weapons, such as the micro-Tavor rifles previously used by Golani and Nahal infantry troops, who have since transitioned to M4 rifles.

The shift to rear command centers will be implemented gradually over the coming years as part of a new multi-year plan set to launch in January.

Regarding ultra-Orthodox recruitment, the IDF expressed hope that its efforts—including ongoing dialogue with senior rabbis, draft orders sent to young ultra-Orthodox men and tailored outreach and adjustments—will yield results. The aim is to recruit members into the newly established ultra-Orthodox brigade.

“We are currently facing a manpower gap of 12,000 combat soldiers and a shortfall of 1,200 combat support troops,” officials noted. They stressed the importance of reinstating the three-year mandatory service term. Despite these challenges, they reported high motivation levels for combat service, with rates nearing 100% in various units during the last August recruitment cycle.

Posted on December 6, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on December 5, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit/Wikimedia.com

Photo License: Wikimedia