After the attack in which Jordanians crossed into Israel, and following a joint decision by the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff in the IDF, it was officially determined that a new division would be established to manage the security of Israel's eastern border.
Defense Minister Gallant and Chief of Staff Halevi recently approved the establishment of the "Eastern Territorial Division," with its designated purpose being the defense of Israel's eastern border.
According to an IDF spokesperson, the decision was made after "staff work that examined the operational needs and defense capabilities in the area, in accordance with the IDF's force-building planning in light of the lessons of the war and the situation assessment." The division will fall under Central Command, similar to the forces operating in the Judea and Samaria area.
According to the IDF and the Ministry of Defense, "the division's mission is to strengthen the defense in the border area, Highway 90, and the settlements." The division's tasks will include: dealing with a terrorist incident, preventing the smuggling of weapons and other tools, while maintaining peaceful relations at the border and increasing cooperation with the Jordanian army.
The Chief of Staff said after the announcement of the division's establishment that "strengthening defense along the borders in general and the eastern border in particular was marked as a goal before the war, and in light of 7/10 and recent events, it has gained additional significance." Additionally, there is an urgent need to establish more frameworks in regular and reserve service to alleviate the burden on reserve personnel. In light of this, we decided to establish a division to strengthen the defense on the eastern border. This is a necessary decision in light of the expected challenges and in accordance with the IDF's force-building processes.
