In from the cold, Hirsch takes up special operations role

Former IDF Galillee Division Commander Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch will be the new deputy commander of the Depth Corps, a recently formed unit designed to handle operations deep behind enemy lines, according to the Israel Defense website.

Hirsch commanded Division 91 during the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006. He resigned from the IDF after the committee assigned to investigate the abduction of reserve soldiers Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, the event that sparked the war, issued personal recommendations against him for his conduct during the 33-day war. Another committee led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoram Yair that evaluated the division’s conduct during the war had no recommendations against Hirsch.

Before the Second Lebanon War, Hirsch was considered one of the IDF’s most valued officers. He commanded the IDF’s officer training base Bahad 1 as well as the Israel Air Force’s commando unit Shaldag, and participated in numerous sorties deep inside enemy territory. Hirsch’s experience beyond Israel’s borders is speculated to be the reason for his assignment to the Depth Corps. As Operations Officer in Central Command, Hirsch took part in planning Operation Defensive Shield, a name he came up with for the IDF’s major operation to stamp out terrorism in the West Bank in 2002.

Appointing Hirsch is one of the many adjustments the IDF is making to form the new unit. Brig. Gen. Moni Katz was recently named chief of unit staff, as well as being commander of another division. Maj. Gen. (res.) Shai Avital, ia former commander of the IDF’s elite General Staff Reconnaisance Unit (Sayeret Matkal) commando unit, is the commander of the Depth Corps after being brought back from retirement.

As previously reported, the Depth Corps will comprise some 100 soldiers and officers. The army does not intend for this force to deal with every long-range mission, but it will be responsible for the most special and complex missions. Members of the corps will not be permanently assigned on a daily basis, but will come together when missions arise. The IDF says each mission will be examined individually to decide whether it falls under the purview of the new command.