The Operations Directorate (, Agaf HaMivtza'im, abbreviated as ( Agam) is the operations branch in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. It was established in 1999, alongside the regional commands, the air force and navy. Since June 2021, it is headed by Aluf Oded Basyuk.
Tasks The directorate has the following responsibilities: Preparing the IDF for war, emergencies, and day-to-day security Deriving an operational strategy from the national security agenda and military doctrine Coordinating the IDF's work with the other security forces, and drafting IDF recommendations for the political echelon Instructing the regional command, air force, navy, GOC Army Headquarters and other directorates, with respect to the exercise of force and its coordination
Units Operations Division Instruction, Doctrine and Evaluation Division IDF Spokesperson Special Means Division Department for Campaign Design Centre for Consciousness Operations Inspection and Supervision Department General Staff Security Department
Commanders The list includes those who served as heads of operations prior to when it was spun off from the IDF's General Staff. The list also includes pre-IDF Haganah commander Yigael Yadin who also served in that capacity during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Dan Halutz, who original served as the Aide to Chief of the Operations Branch, was appointed to the head of the Operations Directorate soon after its establishment.
Name Term start Term end Notes Yigael Yadin Mordechai Maklef Moshe Dayan Yosef Avidar Meir Amit Later Director of Mossad Haim Laskov Meir Amit Tzvi Tzur 1958 Meir Zorea Yitzhak Rabin 5th Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin Haim Bar-Lev Ezer Weizman Later President of Israel David Elazar Israel Tal Rehavam Ze'evi Yitzhak Hofi Later Director of Mossad Herzl Shafir Later Commissioner of Police Yekutiel Adam Rafael Eitan Yekutiel Adam Moshe Levi David Ivry Dan Shomron Amir Drori Ehud Barak 10th Prime Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shahak Matan Vilnai Shaul Mofaz Uzi Dayan Dan Halutz Giora Eiland Dan Harel Israel Ziv Gadi Eizenkot Tal Russo Yaakov Ayash Yoav Har-Even Nitzan Alon
Assistant Head of the Operations Branch The list is of those who served as Assistant Head of the Operations Branch prior to establishment of the Operations Directorate in 1999.
Name Term Notes Tzvi Tzur 1950–1951 Haim Ben-David 1951–1953 Ilan Meyer 1953–1954 Asaf Simhoni 1954–1956 Meir Zorea 1956 Uzi Narkiss 1956–1957 During Sinai War Ariel Amiad 1957–1958 Shalom Iron 1958–1960 Israel Tal 1961 Oded Masar July to December 1961 Yeshayahu Gavish 1961–1962 Elad Peled 1962–1963 Gideon Elrom 1963–1964 Rehavam Ze'evi 1964–1968 During Six-Day War Yitzhak Hofi 1968–1969 Herzl Shafir 1969–1971 Yona Efrat 1971–1973 Arie Levy 1973–1974 During Yom Kippur War Mordechai Tzipori 1974–1976 Avigdor Ben-Gal 1976 Natan Sharoni 1976–1978 Eitan Barak 1978–1980 Uri Simchoni 1980–1981 Giora Ram-Forman 1981–1983 During the First Lebanon War Uri Sagi 1983–1986 Amram Mitzna 1986–1987 Giora Romm 1987–1989 Zeev Livne 1989–1992 Nehemiah Tamari 1992–1993 Meir Dagan 1993–1995 Eitan Ben Eliyahu 1995–1996 Gabi Ashkenazi 1996–1998 Dan Halutz 1998–1999 Post terminated; Halutz became head of the Operations Directorate
References
See also General staff Staff (military)