The 7th Wing is the special air forces wing of the Israeli Air Force. It is composed of three combat units Unit 669, Shaldag Unit, and Unit 5700. The wing's headquarters is based at the Palmachim Airbase.
The wing was established out of an operational need to deal with the Air Force's core challenge of having a special operative force for designated operations. The wing is a complementary component to the Air Force's activities through special operations in routine and emergency. The wing's main missions include:[2]
Until the establishment of the Wing, the wing's units were subordinated to the various air force bases and the professional direction was the responsibility of the Special Air Forces Command. With the establishment of the wing in July 2020, the command of the Special Air Forces that operated at the Air Force Headquarters was abolished, and a SAF branch in the attack department and a SAF training section in an integrated training branch was established at the corps headquarters.[2]
Logo of the Wing's joint training branch
October 7 Surprise Attack
Following the surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, the Shaldag Unit was deployed to fight Hamas militants in the communities they had infiltrated. The unit's fighters were flown by helicopters to the rear of the terrorist units and fought in the Battle of Re'im Camp, the Battle of Kibbutz Be'eri, the Battle of Kibbutz Alumim, the Battle of Holit, and the Battle of Kfar Aza. During the battles, five of the Shaldag Unit fighters were killed.[3][4] Similarly, the Unit 669 was the first to reach certain combat centers, the unit evacuated hundreds of wounded in operational cooperation with the circle of elite units in the IDF, especially the mobility unit.[5][6][7]
On 20 December 2023, Shaldag Unit along with Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet 13, the 401st Brigade, and Oketz fighters, completed the takeover of the "Senior Officials' Quarter" of Hamas in Palestine Square in the Rimal neighborhood in central Gaza City. The quarter served as the main governmental and security hub of Hamas. The complex includes an extensive tunnel network connecting the offices of senior officials, safe houses, offices, and residences of the military wing and the military leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.[9] On February, together with other special forces, the Unit 669 took a major part in Operation Golden Hand to free two hostages, Fernando Simon Merman and Luis Har, who were held in Rafah .[10] The force and the abductees from the scene of the operation were taken by Unit 669 to the evacuation helicopter, which evacuated the abductees to the Sheba Medical Center.[11]
Special forces units in the Israel Defense Forces encompass a broad definition of specialist units. Such units are usually a regiment or a battalion in strength.
General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, more commonly known as Sayeret Matkal, is the special reconnaissance unit (sayeret) of Israel's General Staff (matkal). It is considered one of the premier special forces units of Israel.
The Unit 669 is a heliborne combat search and rescue extraction unit, subordinate to 7 Wing of the Israeli Air Force.
Palmachim Airbase is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base and spaceport, which the IAF and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) operate jointly. It is located west of the city of Yavne on the Mediterranean coast, 12 km south of the Gush Dan metropolitan area with Tel Aviv, named after the Kibbutz Palmachim north of it. There are no fighter jets stationed there, but helicopters, UAVs and defense missiles.
Unit 5101, more commonly known as Shaldag, is one of the premier Israeli Air Force (IAF) Sayeret units. The unit is part of the 7th Special Air Forces Wing and is based in the Palmachim Airbase. The unit is led by an officer at the rank of lieutenant colonel.
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The Multidimensional Unit, designated as Unit 888 and also known as the “Refaim” Unit, is an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Special Operations task force serving under the Ground Forces. It was established in 2019 by IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kokhavi.
On 7 October 2023, in the opening attacks of the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, Hamas militants carried out a massacre at Be'eri, an Israeli kibbutz near the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of Gazan militants and civilian looters attacked the kibbutz, killing and abducting civilians while facing resistance from armed residents. Israeli security forces regained control by the evening of October 8. A total of 101 Israeli civilians and 31 security personnel were killed and 32 hostages were taken from the kibbutz. At least 100 Gazan militants were also killed and 18 were captured.
Avi Rosenfeld is an Israeli military officer. In 2023, he held the rank of Brigadier general. He currently serves as the GOC of the Gaza Division. Previously he served as commander of Oz Brigade, commander of the Bislamach Brigade, commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade, commander of Sharon Regional Brigade, commander of the Shaldag Unit and commander of the Nahal Infantry Brigade.
Eli Yitzhak Ben-Bashat was an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer with the rank of Colonel. He served as the commander of the Yiftach Brigade, the commander of the Paran Brigade, a team commander at the Tactical Command College, and the commander of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion.
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This is the order of battle of the Israel–Hamas war.
Unit 5700 also known as Forward Air Field Tactical Unit is a special unit of the Israeli Air Force concerned with establishing and operating temporary forward landing bases for transport, reinforcement, logistics, and other purposes. Along with Shaldag Unit and Unit 669, it constitutes the special forces wing of Israeli Air Force.
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