Israel Deploys Female Soldiers for the First Time on Gaza Strip Frontline

Israel has deployed female soldiers to the front lines for the first time since its founding, triggered by the war with the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

An Israeli soldier deployed to the Gaza border area in southern Israel on December 27 last year is walking. (Photo by Yonhap News)

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On the 19th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that Israel has been deploying female soldiers to the front lines since late October last year, when it launched a full-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

Israel is a conscription country where women also serve in the military, but this is the first time since its establishment in 1948 that female soldiers have been deployed to the front lines.

In Israel, a Jewish state, female soldiers had been excluded from key combat forces. This was largely due to opposition from far-right rabbinical leaders and some male soldiers.

As criticism of gender discrimination within the military continued, the role of female soldiers gradually increased. Recently, up to 90% of military positions have been opened to women.

Major infantry units and elite special forces deployed to the front lines had also excluded female soldiers, but this changed after the Hamas attack on October 7 last year.

Captain Amit Bush, a female officer, commands 83 male and female troops at a frontline base in northern Gaza.

Captain Bush is responsible for tasks such as checking the safety of buildings before other infantry units enter Gaza Strip buildings, searching for Hamas operatives, weapons, and rocket launchers, and evacuating the wounded.

Amit Bush told the NYT, "The boundaries (that limit the role of female soldiers) are becoming blurred," adding, "We are here because the military needs us."

After over 200 civilians were abducted in the Hamas surprise attack, calls for military reform grew within Israel. The Israel Defense Forces are appealing to public opinion by expanding the role of female soldiers and improving military culture.

The performance of female soldiers on the day of the Hamas surprise attack also influenced the expansion of their roles. An all-female tank unit was deployed to the border area at the time and successfully defended against Hamas infiltration.

The mixed infantry unit Caracal, led by female Lieutenant Colonel Ben Yehuda, fought Hamas operatives who crossed the border for 12 hours and prevented them from attacking nearby villages.

According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute, 70% of women and 67% of men among secular Israeli citizens responded that the number of female soldiers participating in combat should be increased.

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