IDF Command Appointments: New Central Command Chief Named

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday approved the recommendation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to appoint Maj. Gen. Dudu Bar Kalifa as commander of Central Command. According to the military spokesperson, the appointment will take effect in 2027, subject to operational assessments at that time.

Bar Kalifa currently serves as head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate and is expected to replace Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth in the key position. Central Command oversees military operations in the West Bank, one of the IDF's most sensitive theaters. The appointment follows a period of public controversy surrounding the current Central Command leadership, after the defense minister previously announced his intention to appoint Bar Kalifa in a television interview, a move that sparked significant debate over proper protocol.

Comprehensive Personnel Review at General Staff

Alongside Bar Kalifa's appointment, Chief of Staff Zamir conducted a comprehensive personnel review on Monday, determining dozens of senior appointments throughout the IDF. All appointments are subject to final approval by the defense minister.

Among the notable appointments: Lt. Col. R. will command the Special Operations Division in Military Intelligence; Lt. Col. Hai Kafir Magnazi will serve as chief of staff for the Technology and Logistics Directorate; and Col. Elad Benno Tzion will head the Logistics Division within that directorate and be promoted to lieutenant colonel rank.

Additional appointments include division and brigade commanders: Col. Yonatan Meir will command the Saar Division from the Golan Heights (7th Division), Col. Tal Elkobi will lead the Barak Division (188th), and Col. Efrat Kikoff will command the 282nd Fire Brigade.

Infantry Brigade Command Appointments

New commanders were named for several infantry brigades: Col. Bar Bashan will lead the Givati Brigade (84th), Col. Eitan Gilad will command the Nahal Brigade (933rd), Col. Ran Friedman will head the Paratroopers Brigade (35th), and Col. Shimon Siso will lead the Commando Brigade (89th).

Additionally, Col. Nir Ifrgan will command the Kfir Brigade (900th), and Col. Niv Dauba will lead the Bnei Or Division (460th). In the Navy, parallel appointments were announced: Col. A. will command Shayetet 13 (the naval commando unit), Col. B. will lead the Submarine Flotilla (Flotilla 7), and Col. V. will command the Missile Boat Flotilla (Flotilla 3).

Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, at Palmachim Airbase. (IDF Spokesperson)

Training, Regional Commands, and Study Assignments

In the training and education sphere, Col. Daniel Kroisman will command the Artillery School, and Col. Adniram Sharabi will lead the School of Military Engineering. Col. Asaf Shlomo Gabai will command the Command and Staff Course at the military colleges.

For regional commands, Col. Anan Fares will serve as chief of staff for Southern Command, and Col. Dvir Avraham Diamond will hold the same position in Northern Command. At General Staff headquarters, Col. A. will head the Operational Planning Department in the Operations Directorate, and Col. Y. will lead the Planning Department in the Planning Directorate.

Numerous senior officers were also assigned to advanced study programs, including Lt. Col. Y., Col. Netanel Shamcha, Col. Gilad Shriki, Col. Idan Bernstein, and others. The appointments reflect the ongoing renewal of military leadership during a complex operational period.