Central Command (Israel) Explained

Unit Name:	Central Command
Native Name:	פיקוד מרכז
Dates:	1948–present
Battles:	1948 Palestine war Six Day War Yom Kippur War First Intifada Second Intifada July 2023 Jenin incursion 2023 Israel-Hamas war
Commander1:	Aluf Yehuda Fox
Identification Symbol Label:	Flag

The Central Command (Hebrew: פיקוד מרכז, Pikud Merkaz), often abbreviated to Pakmaz (פקמ"ז), is a regional command of the Israel Defense Forces. It is responsible for the units and brigades located in the West Bank (under the West Bank Division), Jerusalem, the Sharon, Gush Dan, and the Shephelah.

The commander (Aluf) of the central command is the one who is authorized to declare new cities in the Judea and Samaria Area.^[1]

History

During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Central Command was in-charge of the war efforts against Jordan, particularly on the road to Jerusalem, occupying the "Small Triangle" (east Sharon), Lod, and Ramla. During the Six-Day War, the Command led the occupation of the West Bank from Jordan. As of the First Intifada, the Command primarily engages in security and counter-terrorism activities, as well as more conventional military measures, in the West Bank.

Towards the end of 2010 the deployment of IDF troops in and around the West Bank reached a new quantitative low with only half the number of infantry battalions serving where "dozens" were required during the first Intifada.^[2]

Command organization 2024

• Central Command, in Neve Yaakov
  • 98th Division "Ha-Esh"/"Fire"
    • 35th Paratroopers Brigade "Shfifon/Flying Serpent"
    • 55th Paratroopers Brigade "Hod Ha-Hanit/Spearhead" (Reserve)
    • 89th Commando Brigade "Oz/Courage"
    • 551st Paratroopers Brigade "Hetzei Ha-Esch/Fire Arrows" (Reserve)
    • 214th Artillery Brigade "David's Sling"
  • 99th Division "Ha'Bazak/Flash" (Reserve)
    • 11th Commando Brigade "Yiftach" (Reserve)
    • 179th Armored Brigade "Ram" (Reserve)
    • 900th Infantry Brigade "Kfir"
    • 646th Paratroopers Brigade "Schualey Marom" (Reserve)
    • Division Logistic Brigade
    • 807th Division Signal Battalion
  • 877th Division "Judea and Samaria"
    • 421st Territorial Brigade "Ephraim" – Qalqilya sector
    • 426th Territorial Brigade "Etzion" – Bethlehem sector
    • 431st Territorial Brigade "Menashe" – Jenin and Tulkarm sectors
    • 434th Territorial Brigade "Yehuda" – Hebron sector
    • 442nd Territorial Brigade "Samaria" – Nablus sector
    • 443rd Territorial Brigade "Benjamin" – Ramallah sector and Road 443
  • 417th Territorial Brigade – Jordan Valley sector
    • 41st Border Infantry Battalion "Jordan Lions"
    • 47th Border Infantry Battalion "Valley Guards"
    • 5016th Reserve Infantry Battalion "Reim"
    • 5035th Reserve Infantry Battalion "Habokea"
    • 9992nd Reserve Infantry Battalion
    • 5025th Reserve Field Intelligence Battalion
    • 7078th Reserve Counterterrorism Unit "Yatam amakim" (Anti-Terrorism Rapid Response Unit)
  • Central Command Signal Battalion
  • Central Command Engineering Unit 802
  • Central Command Intelligence Unit
  • Central Command Military Police Unit 391
  • Central Command Medical Unit
  • Central Command Maintenance Unit 650
  • Central Command Training Base "Lahish"
  • 5004th Logistic Unit

Commanders

All commanders of the Central Command were ranked Aluf (Major General).

• Zvi Ayalon (1948–1952)
• Yosef Avidar (1952–1953)
• Zvi Ayalon (1954–1956)
• Zvi Zur (1956–1958)
• Meir Amit (1958–1959)
• Yosef Geva (1960–1966)
• Uzi Narkis (1966–1968)
• Rehav'am Ze'evi (1968–1972)
• Yona Efrat (1973–1977)
• Moshe Levi (1977–1981)
• Ori Orr (1981–1983)
• Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (1983–1986)
• Ehud Barak (1986–1987)
• Amram Mitzna (1987–1989)
• Yitzhak Mordechai (1989–1991)
• Danny Yatom (1991–1993)
• Nehemiah Tamari (1993–1994) - KIA
• Danny Yatom (1994)
• Ilan Birn (1994–1995)
• Uzi Dayan (1996–1998)
• Moshe Ya'alon (1998–2000)
• Yitzhak Eitan (2000–2002)
• Moshe Kaplinsky (2002–2004)
• Yair Nave (2004–2007)
• Gadi Shamni (2007–2009)
• Avi Mizrahi (2009–2012)^[3]
• Nitzan Alon (2012–2015)
• Roni Numa (2015–2018)
• Nadav Padan (2018–2020)
• Tamir Yadai (2020–2021)
• Yehuda Fox (2021–)^[4]

See also

• Israel Defense Forces
• IDF Code of Ethics

Notes and References

1. News: Modi'in Illit Declared a City . 2008-03-07 . 2008-03-08 . Golan, Boaz . . https://web.archive.org/web/20080619080405/http://www.netnet.co.il/showart.php?art_id=1144 . 2008-06-19 . he . dead .
2. News: Pfeffer . Anshel . 28 November 2010 . West Bank Sees Lowest IDF Troop Levels Since First Intifada . . 2023-10-08.
3. Web site: IDF chief Ashkenazi announces new hires in General Staff - Haaretz - Israel News. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090810190207/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1105826.html . 2009-08-10 .
4. Web site: 2 August 2023 . Breaking silence, Netanyahu defends IDF general attacked by coalition MKs . 2023-10-08 . . en-US.