IDF to Establish Eastern Division to Strengthen Border With Jordan

Latest Developments

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi announced the establishment of an eastern division to protect Israel’s eastern border on October 30. Gallant and Halevi approved the new division after examining the military’s “operational needs and defense capabilities in the area.” Halevi detailed that the decision to bolster Israel’s eastern border with Jordan was a goal before the war provoked by the Hamas atrocities of October 7 but that recent events “added urgency” to its fulfillment. The new division will operate under the authority of the IDF’s central command.

Presently, the Jordan Valley Regional Brigade protects approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) of Israeli territory between the Dead Sea and Hamat Gader, The Times of Israel reported.

A core security concern for Israel involves Iran and its network of proxies in the region, which have exploited Jordan’s border with the Jewish state to arm terrorist groups in the West Bank. Smugglers have moved small arms such as rifles and pistols to the West Bank, but advanced weapons from Iran, such as claymore mines, have also reached terrorist groups in the territory, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported on August 19. Another emerging threat concerns cross-border attacks from Jordan. On October 18, two terrorists entered Israeli territory from Jordan and opened fire on IDF troops near Neot HaKikar — a small moshav, or farming collective, south of the Dead Sea — before they were shot dead by two reserve soldiers. 

Expert Analysis

“Terrorist groups have kept the West Bank in a persistent state of violence for more than three years. A factor fueling this instability is the influx of weapons into the possession of organizations such as Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. Despite Israel’s efforts to thwart weapons smuggling, arms are still getting through. Bolstering the Jewish state’s eastern front may reduce the number of arms flowing into the hands of terrorists.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The new division will help protect against increased smuggling of weapons and Iran’s attempts to destabilize the West Bank via Jordan. Securing the Jordan Valley will also contribute to wider regional security and tamp down on any attempts to create a new terror front against Israel.” — Seth Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

Related Analysis

“Profiles of 28 Iran-Backed Terrorist Groups and Branches in the West Bank,” by Joe Truzman

“Mapping Terrorism in the West Bank,” by Joe Truzman

“Iran Attempts to Destabilize Jordan,” FDD Flash Brief