The 340th "Idan" Armoured Division () was an

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

reserve division. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Regional Command and is located in Camp Nachshonim. On September 15, 2020, the division was closed. Its last commander was Avi Rosenfeld.

History

Formerly the 880th Division, it was founded in 1974 as a reserve division following the Yom Kippur War. In 1982, during the First Lebanon War, the division, which included three armored brigades, remained in command reserve, and entered the eastern front during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub. In 2002, during Operation Defensive Shield, it was responsible for the military occupation of

Jenin Jenin ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and is the capital of the Jenin Governorate. It is a hub for the surrounding towns. Jenin came under Israeli occupied territories, Israeli occupation in 1967, and was put under the administra ...

. In 2005, the unit was responsible for evacuating the northern

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

during the disengagement plan. Between 2005 and 2010, its commander was also the IDF's Chief Armor Officer (head of the Armored Corps), but in April 2010, these roles were separated. Also, in 2010, the division was awarded first place in the

Ramatkal The Chief of the General Staff, also known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Defense Forces (, abbreviated ''Ramatkal''—), is the professional head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The current Chief of the General Staff is Eyal Zam ...

prize for distinguished reserve units.Sixteen Distinguished Units Win Ramatkal Prize" (Hebrew)
'' IDF spokesperson,'' 22 March 2010. In 2014, the division underwent reorganization aimed at turning it from an armored division into a light, multi-front division that specializes in

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

and

urban warfare Urban warfare is warfare in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both Military operation, operational and the Military tactics, tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the p ...

Units

* 340th "Idan" Division ** 5th "Sharon" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade ** 16th "Jerusalem" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade ** 847th "Chariots of Steel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade ** 900th "Kfir"/"Young Lions" Infantry Brigade ** 807th Division Signal Battalion

References

{{Israel Defense Forces Military units and formations established in 2005 Central Command (Israel) Infantry of Israel 2005 establishments in Israel Divisions of Israel Military units and formations disestablished in 2020