Gaza Division

143rd Division "Firefox"
143rd Division "Firefox" patch
Country	Israel
Branch	Israeli Ground Forces
Type	Combined arms
Size	Division
Part of	Southern Command
Commanders
Current commander	Tat Aluf Barak Hiram

Soldiers of the Gaza Division's Desert Reconnaissance Battalion during a military exercise

The 143rd Division "Firefox", also known as Gaza Division, is a division subordinated to Israeli Southern Command. Its area of operation is the border with the Gaza Strip and surrounding area. The division's commander is Brigadier-General Barak Hiram, who replaced Avi Rosenfeld in July 2024.^[1][2]

History

The Gaza Division had been entrusted with the safety and security of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip after the Six-Day War in times of peace and armed conflict. In August 2005, the division, along with the rest of the IDF, officially ended its presence in the Gaza Strip as part of Israeli unilateral disengagement when Jewish settlements were dismantled. However, the Gaza Division has repeatedly entered the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups based in Gaza.^[3]

In September 2015, the division was renamed 143rd "Firefox" Division.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2023, the division was part of the Battle of Re'im where Hamas temporarily took control of the Re'im Army Base and had taken several Israeli soldiers captive, resulting in the death of Lt. Col. Sahar Makhlouf.^[4]

Division organization 2025

143rd Division "Firefox" organization as of October 2025

•   143rd Division "Firefox"
  • 261st Infantry Brigade "Ramon" (Reserve) (formed by the Israeli Ground Forces' Officers School; will transfer to the 252nd Division in 2026)
    • Infantry Training Battalion "Geffen" (Infantry Officers Course; doubles as third battalion of the 261st Infantry Brigade)
    • (6261st) Reconnaissance Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8208th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8717th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • Logistic Battalion
    • Signal Company
  • 6643rd Territorial Brigade "Katif" (Southern Gaza)
    • (585th) Bedouin Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 630th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 7015th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8149th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • Combat Engineer Company "Steel Knights"
    • Signal Company
    • Logistic Battalion
  • 7643rd Territorial Brigade "Gefen" (Northern Gaza)
    • 843rd Armored Battalion "Nir"
    • 969th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 5033rd Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • 8239th Infantry Battalion (Reserve)
    • Combat Engineer Company "Steel Cats"
    • Signal Company
    • Logistic Battalion
  • 481st Division Signal Battalion
  • 414th Field Intelligence Battalion "Nesher/Eagle"
  • 8643rd Division Logistic Group

See also

• Judea and Samaria Division
• Operation Summer Rains (2006)

References

1. Staff, ToI (6 August 2024). "IDF's new Gaza commander draws rebuke for disparaging prewar 'Israeli culture'". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
2. Fabian, Emanuel; Staff, ToI (31 July 2024). "Controversial commander Barak Hiram named next Gaza Division chief". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
3. Finkel, Gal Perl (13 October 2018). "Changing the rules in the Gaza Strip comes with a cost". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
4. Abu Hatab, Basma (8 October 2023). "Commander's Death Marks Turning Point in Gaza Conflict". Watan. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.