One year after establishing the IDF’s 96th Division and two years after launching the “David Brigades” initiative, the military says it has dramatically strengthened Israel’s defenses along the eastern border and brought tens of thousands of former combat soldiers back into reserve service as part of the lessons learned from the October 7 massacre.

The 96th Division was created to oversee the defense of Israel’s eastern frontier, with a particular focus on ensuring the country is never again caught by surprise along a border long considered quiet.

“The central lesson of October 7 is that you cannot build a security doctrine on assumptions that are never reexamined,” the division’s deputy commander, Col. T., said. “We thought Hamas was deterred, and reality shattered that belief. Jordan is an excellent partner and we have strong cooperation, but our job is to prepare even for scenarios that seem unlikely today.”

The division was established on the orders of the IDF Chief of Staff and was activated ahead of “Operation Rising Lion” due to changing security assessments and the need to reinforce Israel’s eastern defenses.

According to the IDF, the division is rapidly expanding, with new outposts, strengthened defensive lines, and independent intelligence, firepower, aerial, and ground-defense capabilities. A new Dead Sea command center is also expected to become a key part of the eastern defense network.

At the same time, the IDF launched the David Brigades, one of the military’s largest manpower initiatives in decades, aimed at bringing former reservists back into service.

“We approached people who had already left reserve duty, including many the military had not used for years,” said Col. A., commander of the Jezreel Brigade. “The needs of the moment played a major role.”

The initiative has returned tens of thousands of former combat soldiers to active reserve service. Israel was divided into five regional sectors, each assigned its own David Brigade. Many of the reservists now serve close to their homes, allowing them to respond within minutes to emergencies while utilizing their familiarity with the local terrain, roads, communities, and population.

The IDF says this rapid-response model is a direct result of the lessons of October 7, when every minute proved critical.

According to Col. A., the David Brigades are designed to be the first force on the scene during emergencies, reinforcing border defenses, supporting regular forces, and carrying out additional security missions in Judea and Samaria.

“Once a fighter, always a fighter,” he said. “We have people from every part of Israeli society. There is no politics and no disagreements. There is one mission—to defend the State of Israel.”

Despite continued security cooperation with Jordan and relative calm along the eastern border, the IDF says it will continue expanding its forces, establishing new battalions, and strengthening operational capabilities to ensure that the failures of October 7 are never repeated.

“Our mission is clear,” said Col. T. “To make sure what happened on October 7 near Gaza never happens on the eastern border.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)