Two IDF Soldiers Killed in Exchange of Fire with Terrorists, 26 Mar 2010

Posted on March 26, 2010 by idfspokesperson

Earlier today, one IDF officer and one IDF soldier were killed, one moderately injured and one lightly injured in an exchange of fire with terrorists who were planting explosives along the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip. The families of the soldiers have been informed of the incident. The injured soldiers have been evacuated to a hospital for further medical care.

After identifying the terrorists planting explosives, the force fired at them and identified killing two of the terrorists. There is an ongoing daily effort by IDF soldiers to defend Israeli civilians. The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm the citizens of the State of Israel and will continue to operate firmly against anyone who uses terror against it. The IDF holds Hamas as solely responsible for maintaining peace and quiet in the Gaza Strip.

Pictures: Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi Meets with Commander of the Kenyan Military, General Jeremiah Mutinda, 25 Mar 2010

Posted on March 25, 2010 by idfspokesperson

Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi shaking hands with General Jeremiah Mutinda

General Jeremiah Mutinda presents Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi with a gift

Commander of the Kenyan Military Visits Israel, 25 Mar 2010

Posted on March 25, 2010 by idfspokesperson

Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, met earlier this evening with the Commander of the Kenyan Military, General Jeremiah Mutinda.

General Mutinda arrived in Israel on Sunday for a week-long work visit, as the guest of the Ministry of Defense, in order to strengthen the military cooperation between the two nations and examine a possible cooperation with the Israeli Defense Industries. This is the first visit by a Commander of The Kenyan Military in the IDF in over a decade.

During his visit, the General will attend security and strategy briefings from military officials, tour the Israeli Defense Industries and visit a naval base and the Yad Vashem Museum.

The IDF and the Kenyan Military cooperate on different security matters.

First Sergeant Marina Izmailov to Receive a Citation of Excellence, 24 Mar 2010

Posted on March 24, 2010 by idfspokesperson

First Sergeant Marina Izmailov , a combat soldier in the Oketz canine unit, will appear in the President’s residence to receive a citation of excellence from President Shimon Peres on Israel’s 62nd Independence Day.

Izmailov will appear along with her dog Case, who is trained to find hidden explosives. Case will also go on stage to receive his citation. The Oketz (sting) unit, founded in 1939 as part of the Haganah, incorporates both male and female handlers who train and fight with their dogs and specialize in different fields including attack, pursuit and locating explosives.

Filmed are Izmailov and Case during an exercise on 23.3.10 .

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqjHGcdf5Qk]

First Sergeant Marina Izmailov and her dog Case

Conclusion of General Staff Headquarters Exercise in the Southern Command, 24 Mar 2010

Posted on March 24, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The IDF recently concluded a General Staff Headquarters exercise in the Southern Command which simulated various operational scenarios designed to test the preparedness of IDF forces, in both reserves and regular service, for combat in the Gaza Strip.

It should be emphasized that the exercise was planned in advance as part of the annual training graph and as part of the regular exercise plan in order to be fully prepared for every possible scenario, as is acceptable in all regions.

Lessons learnt from previous exercises, and those learnt during Operation Cast Lead were implemented. The Southern Command in addition to ground, air and naval forces and intelligence sources participated in the exercise, stressing cooperation between the different bodies and military branches.

New weapons and information systems were integrated in order to improve the combat capability in the region. Emphasis was placed on humanitarian aspects and maintenance of reasonable living conditions for residents of the Gaza Strip during combat.

An overview of the exercise has shown it to be a success and to have implemented the lessons learnt in Operation Cast Lead and to have improved capability.

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi visited the exercise, accompanied by the OC of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant and other commanders, and heard details about the exercise.

IDF Soldier Killed Near Gaza Strip, 22 Mar 2010

Posted on March 23, 2010 by idfspokesperson

An IDF soldier was killed earlier this evening in a shooting incident near the Central Gaza Strip.

The soldier was apparently killed as a result of friendly fire, during an incident that was perceived by the soldiers as that of a terrorist nature.

A tank team that was on an operational activity identified three suspects crossing the security fence from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli side. An additional IDF patrol called to the scene following the infiltration was not updated that the tank team began a pursuit on foot. The force mistakingly identified the tank team as the Palestinian suspects, and began firing at the team.

One of the soldiers was killed during the fire exchange. The rest of the team was not harmed. The three infiltrators were arrested and taken for a security questioning. The infiltrators were not armed. OC Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, has appointed a Colonel to investigate the circumstances of the event.

The family of the soldier was notified of the event.

Staff Sergeant Gavriel Chepitch, 21

Pictures: Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense Meets with IDF Spokesperson, 22 Mar 2010

Posted on March 22, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The IDF Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu, meets with the Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and the Chinese Military, Senior Colonel Huang Xueping, this morning in the Kirya military base.

Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense Arrives in Israel for Visit, 22 Mar 2010

Posted on March 22, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and the Chinese Military, Senior Colonel Huang Xueping, arrived in Israel on Sunday, February 21^st, 2010 for a four-day visit, as the personal guest of the IDF Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu.

During their visit, Senior Colonel Huang Xueping and his accompanying staff will hear briefings by professional sources from within the IDF Spokesperson Unit about public-relations work during both routine and emergency times. The Chinese delegation will be presented with the public-relations lessons learnt during the Second Lebanon War and during Operation Cast Lead. Additionally, they will learn about the IDF School for Media’s training system and the integration of spokesmanship and operational planning. Senior Colonel Huang Xueping will present the professional aspects of the Chinese Military’s spokesmanship to his Israeli hosts.

The delegation will visit the city of Sderot and the southern communities surrounding the Gaza Strip in order to understand the public-relations challenges regarding the security situation in the area. The guests will be briefed on the IDF activity in the area by the Commander of the Gaza Division, Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg and on the daily routine of the area by the Mayor of Sderot. The delegation is also due to visit other military units and will be briefed on the IDF’s activity in Judea and Samaria, with an emphasis on the quality of life of the Palestinian population and the media-related issues that are dealt with on a daily basis.

Members of the Chinese delegation with visit the Army Radio station in Jaffa, the IDF newspaper (Bamahane) and the Home Front Command training base where they will hear about the accomplishments of the Israeli Search and Rescue Aid Delegation in Haiti.

Additionally, the delegation will meet with many other Israeli professionals from the public-relations and spokesmanship field.

Senior Colonel Huang Xueping and his staff will visit Jerusalem and tour the Western Wall and the “Yad Vashem” Museum. During his visit in “Yad Vashem” he will place a wreath of flowes in memory of the victims of the Holocaust in an official ceremony.

The spokesmanship department in the Chinese Military has been functioning for over a year.

Accompanying Senior Colonel Huang Xueping are the Deputy Chief of the PLA’s Television Network, a Colonel from the News Affairs Bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Defense and others.

In Response to Rocket Fire, IAF Strikes Weapons-Smuggling Tunnel in Southern Gaza Strip, 22 Mar 2010

Posted on March 22, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The Israel Air Force successfully struck a weapons-smuggling tunnel overnight in the Rafah border area of the southern Gaza Strip.

The attack is in response to the firing of rockets at Israel’s southern communities over the past few days. Nine rockets launched from the Gaza Strip have landed in Israel since this past Thursday, one of which resulted in the death of a foreign national.

Approximately 35 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel since the beginning of the year.

The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm the citizens of the State of Israel and will continue to operate firmly against anyone who uses terror against it. The Israel Defense Forces holds Hamas as solely responsible for maintaining peace and quiet in the Gaza Strip.

Approximately 35 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel since the beginning of the year.

IDF Chief of the General Staff to Return Shortly from Official Work Visit in Turkey, 16

Posted on March 16, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi is to return within the hour from a short and official work visit in Turkey, as the guest of his colleague, the Commander of The Turkish Armed Forces, General Ilker Basbug.

During the visit, the Chief of the General Staff met with the Turkish Minister of Defense, Mr. Vecdi Gonul and with his host, the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi placed a flower bouquet in the mausoleum honoring Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, known as the “Father of the Turkish Nation” and founder of the Republic of Turkey. The IDF Chief of the General Staff was welcomed by a Turkish military honor guard upon arrival.

In the beginning of the visit, Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi participated in an international conference organized by the Turkish military and NATO about terrorism and international cooperation. He also listened to a speech delivered by the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces about various issues in combating terror.

Many Chiefs of Staff from around the region and the globe were present at the conference along with senior NATO commanders, ambassadors, attaches, media personnel and academics.

During their talks, the IDF Chief of the General Staff and his host discussed strengthening security cooperation between Israel and Turkey. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi also updated his counterpart on lessons learnt within the IDF during Operation Cast Lead and during the Second Lebanon War.

At a reception earlier this evening, the IDF Chief of the General Staff met with various Chiefs of Staff and senior commanders from the Turkish Armed Forces including the Deputy Chief of the Turkish Armed Forces, the Turkish Chief of Intelligence, the Turkish Air Force Commander and others.

Towards the end of his visit, the Chief of the General Staff said: “This was an important meeting and there is no need to emphasize Turkey’s strategic significance and centrality, for many and diverse reasons. We have an interest to strengthen the ties with Turkey and I have noticed a similar Turkish desire. The cooperation between us will continue.”

The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi is seen meeting with his counterpart, the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Ilker Basbug, before there one-on-one meeting.

Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi lays a wreath on the mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk known as the "Father of the Turkish Nation" and founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi meets with the Turkish Minister of Defense, Mr. Vecdi Gonul.