The IDF will award citations to a number of elite Special Forces combat units for their significant role and combat achievements in the military’s Operation Break the Wave this past April.
The Chief of Staff’s citation will be given to the Golani Brigade’s Reconnaissance Brigade and the Israel Police’s National Counter Terror Unit (YAMAM). The Duvdevan commando unit and the undercover counter-terrorism unit (Mistaravim) will receive the Head of Regional Command citation.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that the Golani Reconnaissance Brigade took part in over 240 operations, killed 16 terrorists and wounded another 44.
YAMAM took part in 300 operations, arrested some 120 terrorists, wounded 40 and killed 14.
The Mistaravim took part in 200 “diverse operations and counter terrorism activity” and arresting dozens of suspects and killing over 14 terrorists.
“These are the units that have stood out in their counter-terrorism operations and prevented attacks on the home front,” Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi said, adding that they have “stood out in their missions” during the IDF’s operation to crack down on Palestinian terrorism.
The units being awarded the citations have been involved in countless arrest raids, including deep inside the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus where they encountered massive gunfire from terrorists.
“The IDF, together with the security forces, work every day and night to thwart terrorism in the West Bank, and most of these activities involve a high professional level and a real danger to the life of soldiers. We will continue to protect and defend the citizens of the State of Israel – this is our ultimate mission,” he said.
Citations to honor fallen soldiers
Sgt.-Maj. Noam Raz, who was killed in clashes by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist Faruk Salame in May in Jenin, will also receive the citation posthumously.
Raz, from the community of Kida, enlisted in the military in 1999 and served for 23 years in the YAMAM counter-terrorism unit as a fighter, paramedic and sniper. He was described by the Israel Police after his death as a “brave, professional and humble soldier.” The police said that he “participated in hundreds of counter-terrorism operations, endangered himself and saved lives.”
Salame was killed Thursday in Jenin by Israeli security forces, just days before he was set to be married.
Raz’s father, Yeshayahu Rosenberg, died several hours after he was told that Salame had been killed.
Deputy Commissioner Amir Cohen of the Border Police also hailed the move, saying that “the hand-in-hand work of the various security bodies is a significant element in maintaining the security of Israel.”
THE COMMITTEE to award the citations was headed by IDF Court of Appeals president Maj.-Gen. Orly Markman, and included Ground Forces head Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yedai and head of the IDF Force Design Directorate Maj.-Gen. Yaakov Banjo.
They interviewed the commanders of the units and received recommendations from senior commanders.
The citations will be awarded on Tuesday at the IDF’s Glilot Base in central Israel.
The Israeli military began Operation Break the Wave in April after a wave of deadly terror attacks inside Israel claimed the lives of 20 people.
Over 2,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli security forces in raids and more than 125 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year.
On Saturday, an 18-year-old Palestinian was killed by IDF fire near the village of Shingal near Ramallah after he threw stones. Identified as Mosaab Mohammed Nafal from the town of al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya, the Palestinian Health Ministry said he had been shot in the chest and succumbed to his wounds in a Ramallah hospital. Another Palestinian was seriously wounded.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that it had shot toward individuals who were throwing stones at Israeli cars on Route 60.
In late October, the UN’s Special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland said that the past year has been the deadliest for Palestinians since the UN started tracking fatalities in 2005.
Four members of the Israeli security forces have been killed since the beginning of the operations.
According to figures released by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), there was a 50% rise in attacks in October with 382 terror attacks compared to the previous month, which saw a total of 254 attacks. The figures from September were already a rise of 23% from the 172 attacks in August. Meanwhile, July saw 113 and June had a total of 147 attacks.
Of the total number of attacks, there were 46 shooting attacks in October compared to 34 in September, an increase of 35%. The figures mark a continued rise, with 23 shooting attacks in August, also a 50% increase over the 15 in July.