Women served in the Haganah and Palmach before the IDF was founded in 1948, and they have served in the IDF since its establishment. Their military roles initially concentrated in support and instruction; decades of policy changes, court rulings, and unit trials opened combat tracks in stages. The IDF's own timeline lists women entering artillery and border infantry in 2000, Oketz in 2002, field intelligence in 2006, search and rescue in 2008, and tank crews in 2020.
From pre-state service to a changing army
Women in the Palmach held operational, reconnaissance, and support assignments. In its account of the force, the IDF describes a 1944 agreement that organized women's training and service alongside men. The IDF history of Palmach women includes examples of women who served before and during the 1948 War of Independence. The Defense Service Law of 1949 formalized women's conscription, though the roles and service terms differed from men's.
The next major legal step came in 1995, when the High Court ruled in Alice Miller's case that the army could not bar women as a class from pilot training on general budget and planning grounds. Section 16A of the Defense Service Law, enacted in 2000, established an equal right to fill any role while recognizing that a role's nature and character can matter. See the Alice Miller ruling and the 2000 amendment for the legal details.
Combat roles opened in stages
Combat integration has not meant a single army-wide change on one date. The IDF's list of roles opened over time records Oketz, the canine special operations unit, in 2002; field intelligence in 2006; search and rescue in 2008; and tank roles in 2020. In 2023, the IDF announced trials for women in Unit 669, Yahalom, infantry mobility, and maneuvering armor, with selection requirements and trial results shaping next steps.
Women also serve in mixed-gender light infantry battalions that guard borders. The IDF describes Caracal as a volunteer combat battalion of about two-thirds women and one-third men; women train for roles that include border defense. In Oketz, women serve as dog handlers. The IDF reported that female Oketz fighters supported operations to locate weapons and explosives in 2023. These are unit-specific duties, not a claim that every female combat soldier performs the same tasks.
How to understand the limits
Eligibility depends on the specific position, its selection process, and applicable service requirements. Some roles are open to women on the same selection terms as men; others have been introduced through limited trials. IDF announcements describe those trials as assessments, not a blanket opening of every combat specialty.
Service therefore spans a wide range: border infantry, intelligence collection, rescue, canine operations, armored defense, and selected elite-unit paths. For a focused account of mixed border units and women tank crews, read Caracal and the Border Defense Array.