View source for Operations Directorate

{{short description|Israeli military unit}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Operations Directorate
| native_name                   = אגף המבצעים
| image                         = IDF Operations Directorate (Alternative).svg
| image_size                    = 150px
| dates                         = 1999–present
| country                       = {{Flagcountry|Israel}}
| allegiance                    = {{armed forces|Israel}}
| commander1                    = ''[[Aluf]]'' [[Oded Basyuk]]
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Flag_of_IDF_Operations_Directorate.svg|150px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = Flag
}}
The [[Israel]]i '''Operations Directorate''' ({{Langx|he|אגף המבצעים}}, ''Agaf HaMivtza'im'', abbreviated as ({{Langx|he|אג"ם}} ''Agam'') is the [[Operations (military staff)|operations branch]] in the [[Israeli General Staff|General Staff]] of the [[Israel Defense Forces]]. It was established in 1999, alongside the regional commands, the [[Israeli Air Force|air force]] and [[Israeli Sea Corps|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 [[Israeli Security Forces|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's Unit|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.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Term start !! Term end !! Notes
|-
| [[Yigael Yadin]] || {{start date|1947|11|16}} || {{end date|1949|11|09}} ||
|-
| [[Mordechai Maklef]] || {{start date|1949|11|14}} || {{end date|1952|12|07}} ||
|-
| [[Moshe Dayan]] || {{start date|1952|12|17}} || {{end date|1953|12|06}}  ||
|-
| [[Yosef Avidar]] || {{start date|1953|12|22}} || {{end date|1955|02|15}} ||
|-
| [[Meir Amit]] || {{start date|1955|02|23}} || {{end date|1955|05|28}} || Later Director of Mossad
|-
| [[Haim Laskov]] || {{start date|1955|08|28}} || {{end date|1956|07|24}} ||
|-
| [[Meir Amit]] || {{start date|1956|10|05}} || {{end date|1958|01|26}} ||
|-
| [[Tzvi Tzur]] || 1958 <!-- Not sure? --> || ||
|-
| [[Meir Zorea]] || {{start date|1958|09|10}} || {{end date|1959|04|28}} || 
|-
| [[Yitzhak Rabin]] || {{start date|1959|04|28}} || {{end date|1961|01|23}} || 5th [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister]]
|-
| [[Yitzhak Rabin]] || {{start date|1961|01|23}} || {{end date|1963|12|30}} ||
|-
| [[Haim Bar-Lev]] || {{start date|1964|01|01}} || {{end date|1966|04|27}} ||
|-
| [[Ezer Weizman]] || {{start date|1966|04|27}} || {{end date|1969|12|14}} || Later President of Israel
|-
| [[David Elazar]] || {{start date|1969|12|23}} || {{end date|1972|01|01}} ||
|-
| [[Israel Tal]] || {{start date|1972|01|01}} || {{end date|1973|06|28}} ||
|-
| [[Rehavam Ze'evi]] || {{start date|1973|11|02}} || {{end date|1974|01|16}} ||
|-
| [[Yitzhak Hofi]] || {{start date|1974|01|16}} || {{end date|1974|04|16}} || Later Director of Mossad
|-
| [[Herzl Shafir]] || {{start date|1974|04|16}} || {{end date|1976|03|01}} || Later Commissioner of Police
|-
| [[Yekutiel Adam]] || {{start date|1976|03|02}} || {{end date|1977|08|25}} ||
|-
| [[Rafael Eitan]] || {{start date|1977|08|25}} || {{end date|1978|04|07}} ||
|-
| [[Yekutiel Adam]] || {{start date|1978|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- dd? -->}} || {{end date|1982|01|<!-- dd? -->}} ||
|-
| [[Moshe Levi]] || {{start date|1982|01|<!-- dd? -->}} || {{end date|1983|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- dd? -->}} ||
|-
| [[David Ivry]] || {{start date|1983|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- dd? -->}} || {{end date|1985|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- dd? -->}} ||
|-
| [[Dan Shomron]] || {{start date|1985|01|17}} || {{end date|1986|10|01}} ||
|-
| [[Amir Drori]] || {{start date|1986|10|01}} || {{end date|1987|04|06}} ||
|-
| [[Ehud Barak]] ||  {{start date|1987|05|07}} || {{end date|1991|03|13}} || 10th [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister]]
|-
| [[Amnon Lipkin-Shahak]] || {{start date|1991|03|13}} || {{end date|1994|11|29}} ||
|-
| [[Matan Vilnai]] || {{start date|1994|11|29}} || {{end date|1997|09|15}} ||
|-
| [[Shaul Mofaz]] || {{start date|1997|09|15}} || {{end date|1998|06|11}} ||
|-
| [[Uzi Dayan]] || {{start date|1998|06|11}} || {{end date|1999|06|27}} ||
|-
| [[Dan Halutz]] || {{start date|1999|06|27}} || {{end date|2000|09|15}} ||
|-
| [[Giora Eiland]] || {{start date|2000|09|15}} || {{end date|2001|01|25}} ||
|-
| [[Dan Harel]] || {{start date|2001|01|26}} || {{end date|2003|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- dd? -->}} ||
|-
| [[Israel Ziv]] || {{start date|2003|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- ddd? -->}} || {{end date|2005|<!-- mm? -->|<!-- ddd? -->}} ||
|-
| [[Gadi Eizenkot]] || {{start date|2005|06|<!-- ddd? -->}} || {{end date|2006|10|12}} || 
|-
| [[Tal Russo]] || {{start date|2006|10|12}} || {{end date|2010|10|04}} ||
|-
| [[Yaakov Ayash]] || {{start date|2010|10|04}} || {{end date|2012|09|06}} ||
|-
| [[Yoav Har-Even]] || {{start date|2012|09|06}} || {{end date|2015|05|26}} ||
|-
| [[Nitzan Alon]] || {{start date|2015|05|26}} || <!-- {{end date|yyyy|mm|dd}} --> ||
<!--
|-
| [[xxxxxxxx]] || {{start date|yyyy|mm|dd}} || {{end date|yyyy|mm|dd}} ||
-->
|}

=== 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.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Term !! Notes
|-
| [[Tzvi Tzur]] || 1950–1951 ||
|-
| [[Haim Ben-David]] || 1951–1953 ||
|-
| [[Ilan Meyer (general)|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 [[1982 Lebanon War|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 ==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[General staff]]
* [[Staff (military)]] 

{{Israel Defense Forces}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Israel Defense Forces directorates]]
[[Category:Staff (military)]]
{{Israel-mil-stub}}