Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces, also known by the Hebrew-language abbreviation Tzahal, are the unified armed forces of the State of Israel, consisting of three branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is the only military branch of Israel's security forces, and it has no civil authority in the country. The Israeli Defense Forces are led by the Chief of General Staff, who reports to the Israeli Defense Minister.

On May 26, 1948, David Ben-Gurion issued an order establishing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a conscript force composed of members of the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi paramilitary groups. Since Israel's independence, the IDF has taken part in every military war involving the country. According to the think-tank group GlobalSecurity.org, the amount of wars and border conflicts in which the IDF has been engaged throughout its brief existence makes it one of the most battle-trained armed forces in the world. Originally operating on three fronts—against Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has shifted its focus primarily to southern Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories since the signing of the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, with some incidents occurring across its border with Syria as a result of the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

The IDF is unusual among military across the globe since it has controlled conscription of women from its inception. It is one of the most significant institutions in Israeli society because of its effect on the country's economy, culture, and political landscape. The IDF employs a number of technologies that were developed in Israel, with many of them being tailored specifically to the IDF's requirements in its operational environment in the Levant, such as the Merkava main battle tank, the Achzarit armoured personnel carrier, the Iron Dome air defence system, the Trophy active protection system for vehicles, and the Galil and Tavor assault rifles. The Uzi submachine gun is an Israeli invention that was in service with the IDF until December 2003, marking the end of a service that had begun in 1954. Since 1967, the IDF has maintained tight military ties with the United States, which has included development collaboration on projects such as the F-15I fighter aircraft, the THEL laser defence system, and the Arrow missile defence system.

The IDF is believed to have had a functional nuclear weapons capability since 1967, and may have possessed between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads, with delivery systems forming a nuclear triad consisting of plane-launched missiles, Jericho III intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched cruise missiles.