IDF Chief Zamir praises Air Force units for covert operations
Source: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told Israeli Air Force special forces personnel that the missions they have carried out are "unprecedented" and will be recorded in military history, even though most of them cannot be spoken about publicly, according to reports of a visit he made to Palmachim Airbase on Sunday. Israel National News reported the remarks under the headline that the operations "will be written in the pages of history," while The Times of Israel's liveblog summarized the comments as Zamir hailing special forces for "unprecedented" secret missions.
According to Israel National News, Zamir toured the base alongside Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Omer Tischler and other senior commanders, and used the visit to hold a situational assessment of the air force's readiness for a range of scenarios, both defensive and offensive. The outlet reported that Zamir then met members of the special forces and expressed appreciation for their operational contributions "across all fronts," telling them that in recent years they had "brought new capabilities to the battlefield." Israel National News quoted him as saying the operations they carried out were unprecedented and required "courage, imagination and exceptional execution capabilities," adding that most of them could not be discussed publicly.
VINnews carried a substantially similar account, reporting that Zamir assessed the air force's preparedness for defensive and offensive scenarios and praised troops from its special units for operations he described as unprecedented. VINnews rendered the air force commander's name as Maj. Gen. Omer Tishler and published accompanying video from the base. None of the outlets reviewed reported any operational specifics — no dates, locations, targets or units were identified in the published accounts, and the IDF has not released details of the missions Zamir referenced. BreakFirst has not independently verified the content of the remarks.
Palmachim, south of Tel Aviv, is one of the more operationally dense installations in the Israeli Air Force. Open-source reference material, including Wikipedia entries on the 7th Wing and the Shaldag Unit, describes the base as the headquarters of the IAF's special forces wing, which is composed of Unit 669, Shaldag and Unit 5700. The specialist aviation site GlobalMilitary.net reports that the base also hosts the 123rd and 124th squadrons flying UH-60 Black Hawk and S-70 helicopters for troop transport and rescue, units that support Unit 669's heliborne combat search-and-rescue mission, along with several unmanned aerial vehicle squadrons operating Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 aircraft.
The comments follow a pattern of partial disclosures by Zamir about clandestine Israeli activity. Ynet reported that in late June 2025 Zamir publicly disclosed for the first time that IDF ground commando forces — not only Mossad operatives — had operated covertly inside Iran during the 12-day war known as Operation Rising Lion. Ynet quoted him as saying Israel achieved full control over Iranian airspace "and every location we chose to operate in," which he attributed in part to integration and deception carried out by air and ground commando forces. Israel National News reported the same statement at the time, and noted that Zamir declined to elaborate further.
That thread has continued into 2026. Ynet reported in April 2026 that Israeli special units may be operating in Iran, describing missions that officials suggested could "ignite the imagination." Israel Hayom reported the same month that Zamir, during a tour of southern Lebanon, said the air force was at a very high level of readiness with aircraft armed and targets loaded, and that the IDF had approved plans for continued fighting on both the Lebanese and Iranian fronts. The Jerusalem Post reported in January 2026 that Zamir had previously visited Palmachim specifically to inspect Iron Dome readiness amid escalating tensions with Iran, taking part in a drill simulating a missile attack on Israel.
The Times of Israel reported in February 2026 that Zamir traveled to Washington for meetings with US defense officials amid those tensions, joined by Tischler, then the incoming air force chief.
No follow-up disclosures have been announced. Based on the accounts published so far, the operational details behind Zamir's praise are expected to remain classified, consistent with his own statement that most of the missions cannot be discussed.