Israeli special forces platoon commander killed in northern Gaza Strip

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
31 Jan 2024 23:09
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The Israeli Air Force's Shaldag Unit is responsible for conducting commando operations deep within "enemy lines".

Israeli soldiers stand next to the grave of a killed soldier in "Tel Aviv", "Israel", on November 2, 2023. (AP)

The spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces announced that an officer serving under the Israeli Air Forces' Shaldag Unit was killed on Wednesday in the northern Gaza Strip.

This raises the number of Israeli troops announced dead today to four, including two officers. Additionally, at least five Israeli soldiers were injured by the Resistance in the Gaza Strip.

What is the IOF's Shaldag Unit?

The Shaldag Unit is one of the occupation military's top special units and is headquartered in the "Palmachim" Airbase, around 45 km to the north of Gaza City.

Recruits selected to undergo training for the Shaldag Unit are expected to have exceptional scores and abilities and are secured to have passed the initial commando units selection day, in the recruitment process. These recruits then undergo the most extensive and longest training phase of any Israeli unit, which lasts for 22 months.

Troops of the units are equipped with six months of basic and advanced infantry training, parachuting practice, airborne practice, and intelligence gathering and reconnaissance skills.

This is done to ensure that members of the Shaldag Unit are able to complete commando missions deep within enemy lines, in which they are expected to deploy undetected into combat environments, to complete a flurry of objectives.

Troops such as Major Yitzhar Hoffman, who was killed by the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip, are expected to conduct special reconnaissance operations, establish airfields, and conduct air traffic actions.

This elite unit is responsible for numerous crimes in Gaza and Lebanon as well, as it participated in several aggressions against Lebanon, including the Seven-Day War on Lebanon in 1993, the April Aggression in 1996, and the 2006 July War.

The Palestinian Resistance adds another name to the list of 224 Israeli troops killed in the Gaza Strip since "Israel" launched its ground invasion in late October 2023. Among the units and brigades that suffered casualties are the infamous Golani Brigade, Yahalom Unit, Egoz Unit, and Maglan Unit.