Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
צבא ההגנה לישראל‎
	Emblem
	Standard
Founded	26 May 1948
Service branches	Israeli Ground Forces; Israeli Air Force; Israeli Navy;
Website	idf.il
Leadership
Prime Minister	Benjamin Netanyahu
Defense Minister	Yoav Galant
Chief of the General Staff	Herzi Halevi
Personnel
Military age	17
Conscription	24–34 months
Available for; military service	1,554,186 males, age 17–49 (2016),; 1,514,063 females, age 17–49 (2016)
Fit for; military service	1,499,998 males, age 17–49 (2016),; 1,392,319 females, age 17–49 (2016)
Reaching military; age annually	60,000 males (2016),; 60,000 females (2016)
Active personnel	169,500
Reserve personnel	465,000
Expenditures
Budget	US$24.3 billion (2021) (ranked 15th)
Percent of GDP	5.2% (2021)
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Israel Aerospace Industries; Israel Military Industries; Israel Weapon Industries; Elbit Systems; Elisra; Elta; Rafael; Israel Shipyards;
Foreign suppliers	United States; Germany; United Kingdom; Italy; France;
Related articles
History	1948 Arab–Israeli War (1948–1949); Reprisal operations (1951–1956); Sinai War (1956); Six-Day War (1967); War of Attrition (1967–1970); Yom Kippur War (1973); Operation Litani (1978); First Lebanon War (1982–1985); South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000); First Intifada (1987–1993); Second Intifada (2000–2005); Second Lebanon War (2006); Operation Cast Lead (2008–2009); Pillar of Defense (2012); Protective Edge (2014); 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis (2021); Israel–Hamas war (2023-present); Others
Ranks	Israel Defense Forces ranks

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; Hebrew: צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל Tsva ha-Hagana le-Yisra'el^ⓘ, lit. 'The Army of the Defense for Israel'), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy.^[3] It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security apparatus. The IDF is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is subordinate to the Israeli Defense Minister.

On the orders of David Ben-Gurion, the IDF was formed on 26 May 1948 and began to operate as a conscript military, drawing its initial recruits from the already-existing paramilitaries of the Yishuv—namely Haganah, the Irgun, and Lehi. It was formed shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence and has participated in every armed conflict involving Israel. In the wake of the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, the IDF underwent a significant strategic realignment. Previously spread across various fronts—Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—the IDF redirected its focus towards southern Lebanon and its occupation of the Palestinian territories (the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem). In 2000, the IDF withdrew from Southern Lebanon and in 2005 from Gaza. Conflict between Israel and Islamist groups based in Gaza, notably Hamas, has continued since then. Moreover, notable Israeli–Syrian border incidents have occurred frequently since 2011, due to regional instability caused by the Syrian civil war.

Since 1967, the IDF maintains a close security relationship with the United States,^[4] including in research and development cooperation, with joint efforts on the F-15I, the Tactical High-Energy Laser, and the Arrow defence system, among others. The IDF is believed to have maintained an operational nuclear weapons capability since 1967, possibly possessing between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads.^[5] The IDF's conduct in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories for decades has received widespread criticism.^[6]

^ ^a ^b International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. p. 331. ISBN 9781032508955. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b Tian, Nan; Fleurant, Aude; Kuimova, Alexandra; Wezeman, Pieter D.; Wezeman, Siemon T. (24 April 2022). "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2021" (PDF). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^ "THE STATE: Israel Defense Forces (IDF)". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021. The IDF's three service branches (ground forces, air force, and navy) function under a unified command, headed by the Chief of the General Staff, with the rank of lieutenant-general, who is responsible to the minister of defence.
^ Mahler, Gregory S. (1990). Israel After Begin. SUNY Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-7914-0367-9.
^ There is a wide range of estimates as to the size of the Israeli nuclear arsenal. For a compiled list of estimates, see Avner Cohen, The Worst-Kept Secret: Israel's bargain with the Bomb (Columbia University Press, 2010), Table 1, page xxvii and page 82.
^ Cite error: The named reference HRW1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[IISS1-1] International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. p. 331. ISBN 9781032508955. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.

[SIPRI-2020-2] Tian, Nan; Fleurant, Aude; Kuimova, Alexandra; Wezeman, Pieter D.; Wezeman, Siemon T. (24 April 2022). "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2021" (PDF). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.

[3] "THE STATE: Israel Defense Forces (IDF)". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021. The IDF's three service branches (ground forces, air force, and navy) function under a unified command, headed by the Chief of the General Staff, with the rank of lieutenant-general, who is responsible to the minister of defence.

[4] Mahler, Gregory S. (1990). Israel After Begin. SUNY Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-7914-0367-9.

[israelcohen-5] There is a wide range of estimates as to the size of the Israeli nuclear arsenal. For a compiled list of estimates, see Avner Cohen, The Worst-Kept Secret: Israel's bargain with the Bomb (Columbia University Press, 2010), Table 1, page xxvii and page 82.

[HRW1-6] Cite error: The named reference HRW1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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