Details about Israel’s ‘Ghosts’ Unit, also known as the Multidimensional Unit, Unit 888, or ‘Refaim’ in Hebrew, were revealed for the first time by the Israeli army on 9 February and allowed to be disclosed by Hebrew media.
Israeli news outlet Walla published a report indicating that the special unit – operational since its establishment in 2019 by Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi – was, up until a year ago, working on secret missions that were not disclosed by the army.
The unit, which according to non-Israeli sources, is known for its secret reconnaissance operations, is currently at the peak of its operational activity and has been working over recent years to apply its “innovative model” across the military.
The Ghost Unit operates on the borders of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, as well as within the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, increasing its scope by 100 percent in all sectors compared to the previous year.
Since 2020, the special unit has been raiding villages in northern Israel to simulate combat scenarios against Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Israeli military is set to “export” the unit’s capabilities by establishing mechanized combat teams, using advanced drones to determine hostile, offensive intentions.
Walla further disclosed that the group primarily focuses on detecting hidden objects in buildings, underground bunkers, vegetation, and complex topographical conditions to detect activity by Palestinian resistance movements.
The soldiers of this stealth unit have reportedly been developing advanced capabilities in ground maneuvers, defense industries, and research and have been able to successfully scan buildings in a short period of time using “secret means of war.”
An Israeli military source also disclosed ongoing plans for the creation of a “robotic combat team using fast, smart and highly accurate drones, close to the head of any maneuvering force on the ground that would gather intelligence using drones and attack the enemy.”
The intention is to “bring together swarms of drones” in the future to confront both Hamas as well as Hezbollah’s Radwan Unit.
This reveal comes as Palestinian resistance groups have increased their attacks against the Israeli occupation in recent months, overstretching the armed forces in the West Bank. The recent call to increase Palestinian retaliatory attacks against Israel came in light of the 1 November 2022 Israeli elections and brutal crackdowns and raids by the Israeli military.
On 19 December 2022, the Palestinian resistance, including Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), called on their supporters to increase attacks against Israel, especially in the occupied territories of the West Bank.
On 30 October last year, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that 25 Israelis had been killed since the start of the previous year, the highest toll since 2015, due to the increase in Palestinian resistance operations.
Source: The Cradle
