The IDF�s Chashmonaim Brigade has begun operating in Gaza for the first time as a battalion-level combat team, the army announced this week.

The deployment marks a milestone for the chareidi unit, which until now had only sent smaller reserve teams into combat zones. The brigade � made up of its first standing army company and its first reserve company � will operate under the IDF�s 98th Division, currently active in Gaza City.

�This is the first time we�ve deployed the Chashmonaim as a complete operational battalion,� said one senior IDF officer. �It reflects their growing role in defending Israel � not just as soldiers, but as a full fighting force within the army.�

With a potential ceasefire looming, the brigade�s current mission may focus less on urban combat and more on securing key corridors � particularly the Philadelphi and Netzarim routes � to prevent weapons smuggling and the infiltration of terrorists into Israel.

Before entering Gaza, the Chashmonaim soldiers gathered for a hachnosas sefer Torah � dancing and singing as they escorted an army-issued sefer Torah into the Strip.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)