Female paramedics in the elite Unit-669

From Israel’s founding in 1948 until the mid-1990s, women were excluded from serving as pilots in the Israeli Air Force and from joining Special Forces units.

In 1997, on appeal from Alice Miller who filed with the Israeli Supreme Court for acceptance into IDF’s elite Air Force flight school, the IDF began to change its policy toward women in these highly coveted combat positions.

In 2000, the Equality amendment to the Defense Service Law stated that the right of women to serve in any role in the IDF is equal to the right of men, and from that point forward women have joined many elite units in the IDF.

In 2001, Lt. Roni Zuckerman became the fourth woman to complete the arduous Air Force training and the first ever to reach the status of combat fighter pilot. Four years later, a second female passed the intensive fighter pilot course and two other female soldiers graduated to serve as transport pilots. During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, female helicopter pilots took part in field missions alongside their male counterparts.

In December 2011, five female pilots completed flight school at the 163rd graduation ceremony of the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy.

There are also female operators in various roles in Special Forces units, including:

YAMAG
Unit 669
YABAN
Oket’sz
Unit 8200

Since Alice Miller’s 1997 appeal, 38 females received pilot’s wings from the Israeli Air Force. This group includes sixteen combat navigators, three combat pilots, seven helicopter pilots, and twelve cargo pilots.

In 2000, Ora Peled became the first woman to complete the Israeli Navy’s officers training course.

In October 2015, 24-year-old Or Cohen became the first female to be appointed commander of a Naval combat vessel, Dvora ship 817.

The IAF appointed its first female squadron leader in August 2018. Major G. was appointed commander of the 122 Air Intelligence Squadron, which includes five Gulfstream jets. She began her IDF service in 2003, where she trained as a transport plane pilot.

Also in 2018, the navy allowed women to train to serve on missile ships

In September 2019, Lt. Col. G. (last names of active-duty soldiers are not published) became the first woman to command an Israeli Air Force squadron. The 35-year-old joined the IDF in 2003 and became a specialist in piloting transport aircraft. She subsequently served as deputy commander of the Nachshon Squadron, which operates surveillance aircraft before being promoted to commander.

“Lt. Col. G, the mother of two boys, is a role model and an inspiration to thousands of women in the State of Israel,” said IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin. “Well done, our first operational squadron commander in the air force. We have been waiting for this for 71 years.”

In October 2019, a woman was nominated for the first time in Israel’s history to serve as the chief intelligence officer for an IDF regional command.

In 2020, Captain S. (her full name is not allowed to be published) became the first female F-35 pilot and is believed to be the second woman to fly the plane in combat. Previously, she flew F-16s.

Sgt. Jessica Klempert became the first female machinist to serve on an Israeli Navy missile ship in 2021. She is responsible for monitoring the ship’s machines and operating its generators and motors.

Also in 2021, Lt.-Col. G was promoted to colonel and the position of deputy commander of Unit 8200’s Digital Division. She is the first woman to hold the position. She was the head of the unit’s cyber center.

“I have been privileged to serve in Unit 8200, whose mission is to maintain the security of the State of Israel,” G said, adding that “our responsibility in the Intelligence Division is broad, from the collection of intelligence information to its extraction.”

Col. Weiss (IDF Photo)

The week before, Brig.-Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was appointed military advocate-general and promoted to be the second female major-general in the IDF’s history. Tomer-Yerushalmi replaced Maj.-Gen. Sharon Afek, the first openly gay major-general in the IDF.

In August 2021, Maj. N. (her name is withheld due to security reasons) was appointed deputy commander of the 119th “Bat” Squadron, which flies F-16s out of the Ramon Airbase in the south of the country.

The IDF announced plans in January 2022 to launch a new female company to cater to religious women who wish to serve.

In 2022, the IDF appointed the first female Muslim-Arab major in the country’s history – Ella Waweya. The first female brigade commander was also appointed. Reut Rettig-Weiss was also given the rank of Colonel. She will command the Artillery Brigade of the 99th Division and lead Fire Support at the Urban Warfare Training Center.

In 2023, the Israeli military announced a groundbreaking pilot program to integrate women into elite combat units, including Sayeret Matkal—the IDF’s top special forces unit—starting in 2024. The decision, revealed to the Supreme Court amid ongoing legal challenges, follows a petition by four women demanding equal access to all military positions under the Defense Service Law. The move also extends to new combat roles in the Armored Corps and specialized driving teams.

On October 26, 2024, Israel executed a military strike against Iran, involving over 100 combat aircraft targeting vital military sites. Notably, four female pilots participated in this operation, highlighting the critical integration of women into all facets of Israeli society, including its elite military units. Their involvement underscores Israel’s commitment to gender equality and showcases women’s vital contributions to national security, reflecting a broader societal value of inclusivity in shaping Israel’s defense capabilities.

2025 showed a dramatic surge in women serving in IDF combat roles, reaching record levels amid ongoing public debate. According to IDF data, approximately 8,500 women served in combat positions in 2025, more than double the 2020 figure and nearly ten times the number recorded in 2013. Around 5,000 women enlisted in combat roles over the year, marking an almost tenfold increase compared to a decade earlier. The data underscored a significant structural shift in the composition of Israel’s military and the expanding role of women on the front lines

Sources: Israeli Special Forces.
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Women of the Israel Defense Forces, Air Force, Navy, & Special Forces