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.