| Unit 621 | |
|---|---|
| Yehidat Egoz | |
 Egoz Unit insignia | |
| Active | 1995–present |
| Country | Israel |
| Branch |  Israeli Ground Forces |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Anti-guerilla warfare Special reconnaissance Direct action |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of | Central Command 98th Division 89th Brigade |
| Engagements | South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) Second Intifada 2006 Lebanon War Operation Protective Edge Gaza war 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Classified |
| Notable commanders | Erez Zuckerman |
TheEgoz Unit (Hebrew:יחידת אגוז,romanized: Yehidat Egoz, lit. "Walnut Unit", Egoz being theacronym for "anti-guerrilla and small-scale warfare"),[1][2] officiallyUnit 621, is an eliteIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) commando unit specializing in anti-guerrilla warfare,special reconnaissance, and direct action. It is a part of the IDF Central Command's89th Brigade (commonly referred to as thecommando brigade).[3]
The unit specializes in combat in dense terrain, fieldcraft, camouflage, and guerrilla warfare—close-range fighting where the fighter's skill and professionalism are critical to success. The unit operates in all terrains and theaters, focusing mainly on the northern sector.[4]
Egoz also has a unique ordnance platoon, tasked with developing creative solutions and technological innovations to address new challenges encountered on the battlefield and to provide defense against new methods of enemy attack.[5]
The unit's memorial site, commemorating its various incarnations, is located at Nabi Hazuri in the northernGolan Heights.[6]
In its first iteration, the unit was established in 1956 as Sayeret Egoz, aNorthern Command reconnaissance unit, and operated until the end of theYom Kippur War in 1974.[7]
The current Egoz unit was formed in January 1995 from a team of Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit soldiers, as part of theGolani Brigade. It was named after the original Sayeret Egoz unit that operated under Northern Command until 1974.[8] The initiative to establish the unit was driven by then-Chief of StaffAmnon Lipkin-Shahak and Northern Command CommanderAmiram Levin, who sought to revolutionize the fight againstHezbollah through new combat doctrines and tactics. The unit was attached to the Golani Brigade due to the claim by its commander,Moshe Kaplinsky, that the new unit required the support, mentorship, and logistics of an experienced unit, well-versed in combat in Lebanon.[9]
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Egoz was created as a guerrilla warfare unit specifically to fight Hezbollah in the Security Zone of southernLebanon.[10] Its first commander wasErez Zuckerman, a former member ofShayetet 13, who led the unit through most of its initial operations.[11] Within six months of its establishment, the unit had already achieved notable successes, including its first operation, during which it killed two Hezbollah militants near theHula outpost.[12]
In 1997,Moshe (Chico) Tamir from the Golani Brigade took command of the unit. His tenure was marked by determined fighting against Hezbollah. One of the most notable operations during his command was Operation Wild Nature in September 1997, where the unit killedHadi Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah's Secretary-GeneralHassan Nasrallah.[13] The bodies of the militants were later returned to Lebanon in exchange for the remains ofShayetet 13 commando Itamar Eliyahu, who had been killed in the Shayetet Disaster.[14] Another significant operation during this time was Operation Brilliant Move, in which Tamir led the unit in a mission in Lebanon against a Hezbollah security squad in the village of Aindouriyah, killing eight militants.[15]
Following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, the unit continued its operations along the northern border, while also becoming involved incounter-terrorism operations in theWest Bank and theGaza Strip.[16] Under the command ofTamir Yadai, Egoz participated inOperation Defensive Shield, including the Battle of Ramallah.[17]
On 20 July 2006, during theSecond Lebanon War, five soldiers from Egoz were killed, and six others were wounded in a battle near themoshav ofAvivim, while clearing Hezbollah bunkers in the village ofMaroun al-Ras.[18] According to IDF reports, about 20 Hezbollah militants were killed during theBattle of Maroun al-Ras.[19]
Following the war, the unit conducted a series of offensive operations in theGaza Strip, alongside theGolani Brigade andGivati Brigade. In one operation in January 2008, Egoz forces, supported byarmor andair force units, killed 18 militants, including the son of seniorHamas leaderMahmoud al-Zahar.[20] DuringOperation Protective Edge in 2014, the unit killed approximately 50 militants while fighting in theShejaiya neighborhood. On the 14th day of the operation, the unit's commander, Lt. Col. Yonatan Rumm, was seriously injured by ananti-tank missile.[21] His predecessor, Lt. Col. Pini Yosef, took over and led the unit in further combat operations.[22]
On 24 December 2015, Egoz officially parted ways with theGolani Brigade,[23] and on 27 December, it joined the newly formedOz Brigade.[citation needed]
The unit participated inOperation Guardian of the Walls in Gaza, targeting dozens of anti-tank and rocket-launching sites and killing multiple militants.[citation needed]
In July 2023, Egoz took part in Operation House and Garden in the area ofJenin refugee camp, conducting offensive operations and dismantling terrorist infrastructure. During the operation, Egoz soldier Sgt. David Yehuda Yitzhak was killed in a firefight.[24]
The unit has lost 17 soldiers since the start of theGaza war (as of October 2024).[25]
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Erez Zuckerman | 1995–1997 | Awarded Chief of Staff Citation, later commander of the Bashan Division |
| Moshe Tamir | 1997–1998 | Awarded Northern Command Citation, later commander of the Company Commanders and Battalion Commanders Course |
| Hagai Peleg | 1998–1999 | Awarded Northern Command Citation, later commander of theYamam |
| Hagai Mordechai | 1999–2000 | Later Chief of Staff of theGround Forces |
| Tamir Yadai | 2000–2002 | Later Commander of theGround Forces |
| Avi Peled | 2002–2003 | Later IDF attaché to India |
| Ofek Buchris | 2003–2004 | Awarded Chief of Staff Citation, later commander ofIDF Command and Staff College |
| Mordechai Kahana | 2004–2006 | Later Chief Intelligence Officer |
| Yaniv Assor | 2006–2008 | Later Chief of Personnel Directorate |
| David Zini | 2008–2010 | Later Commander of theGeneral Staff Corps |
| Shlomi Binder | 2010–2012 | Later Chief of IDF Operations Branch |
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