The IDF has established a new reserve unit built from veterans of its elite multidimensional unit, as the military faces growing concern over reservist burnout and a severe manpower shortage.
The new unit, known by its Hebrew acronym Yahtak, or Exposure-Strike Unit, is the first reserve force created for veterans of the Multidimensional Unit, also known as Unit 888 or “Refaim.” Its fighters are relatively young, with an average age of 28, and are described as technology-driven commando troops. Some helped build the regular unit themselves.
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IDF soldiers from the new Yahtak reserve unit train after the military declared one of its companies operational, in a handout photo released by the military
(Photo: IDF)
The unit was created after a broad lessons-learned process following the Oct. 7 massacre. Unlike the regular Multidimensional Unit, which operates under the 36th Division, the new reserve unit operates under the 162nd Division. Its purpose is to give the division an independent, lethal and multidimensional strike capability deep inside enemy territory.
“We established this new unit to support and strengthen the division through deep operations,” said Capt. S., deputy head of the combat intelligence branch at the National Ground Training Center, where the unit was formed. “They receive divisional missions, collect high-quality intelligence and deliver deadly firepower.”
Within the limits of what can be disclosed, Capt. S. said the unit specializes in rapidly closing the sensor-to-shooter loop using advanced drones. “We teach the forces to deal with threats, identify where enemy drones were launched from and strike them,” she said. That includes special weapons, loitering munitions and rapid coordination with the air force.
'Once we are in the field, the level of intelligence rises dramatically'
After three months of intensive training, culminating in a final exercise simulating real combat, one of the unit’s companies was declared operational.
“When Yahtak is attached to a maneuvering force, its friction with the enemy drops dramatically,” Maj. K., the unit’s commander, told ynet. “The soldiers reach the enemy already knowing exactly where he is. That is the tremendous advantage we bring to the field.”
He said the unit is the first organic reserve framework made up entirely of veterans of the regular Multidimensional Unit and designed to serve the 162nd Division.
Capt. A., a reserve company commander, said the unit’s edge comes from combining combat experience with civilian expertise in technology and high-tech.
“The regular unit is constantly developing new capabilities, but we come with enormous knowledge from civilian life, from high-tech and technology,” he said. “This unit relies on huge technological advances in weapons and drones. The connection between us and the regular force creates something unprecedented.”
Capt. A., who has fought for years in Gaza, said combining intelligence gathering and strike capabilities under one roof creates a “precise assassination machine.”
“Once we are in the field, the level of intelligence rises dramatically,” he said. “The unit focuses on targeted strikes against terrorists and on collecting critical intelligence. Even brigade commanders in the field understand this and come directly to us for information.”
The unit was created as the IDF seeks to expand its forces wherever possible. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has repeatedly warned that the military faces severe strain, while legislation on ultra-Orthodox enlistment remains stalled. The army is estimated to be short about 15,000 soldiers, including about 6,000 combat troops.
Against that backdrop, commanders in the new reserve unit describe a more optimistic reality. Most of the fighters are young, recently released from regular service and not yet carrying the full burdens of older reservists with families and long careers. The unit currently has a core of more than 70 fighters, a number expected to grow.
“Our people are very young. Some were released from regular service not long ago and do not yet have the complex fabric of family and a long career,” Maj. K. said. “They are not standard fighters. They are one level above, and that is reflected in the quality of performance.”
He said his own family and workplace support his reserve service. “When the home front is with you, the front line becomes blurred,” he said. “The discussion here is highly professional and full of motivation.”
The fighters have already recorded numerous operational successes and targeted killings in different arenas, according to the IDF. Now that they are trained and operational, commanders say the unit is preparing for future missions in Gaza or in the increasingly complex maneuver in southern Lebanon, where the IDF has deepened raids beyond the so-called yellow line ceasefire demarcation in recent days.
For that type of operation, the reserve veterans of the Multidimensional Unit are considered a critical force for the division and the broader military. “We will be called for any mission the army requires,” Maj. K. said. “The army keeps its missions in front of it, and so do we.”