“I almost got hit,” Lt.-Col. (res.) Eli Zilberman told Walla in a Saturday interview, recalling one of the IDF’s earliest operations in northern Gaza at the start of the war with Hamas in November 2023.
During the operation, the 162nd Division advanced toward Hamas’s “security square” while breaching Gaza City’s defensive walls. The IDF uncovered a complex featuring an extensive tunnel network for fighter movement and senior‑official exfiltration, data repositories, weapons‑production workshops, and a strip‑wide command‑and‑control hub.
“This was among the IDF’s first engagements in the northern Gaza Strip,” Zilberman recalled. “We entered one of the toughest combat zones, teeming with militants. For the first time, commanders had to navigate alleys and a nearby school in direct firefights. We quickly understood that this was a different kind of war—and that it would be protracted.”
The most tense moment occurred when he stepped out of the control room to adjust the aim of a remotely piloted aircraft. Within seconds, a sniper spotted him and fired; the bullet struck just centimeters from his body.
“I dove back into the control room and fumed at myself: ‘How irresponsible can you be? At 36, you’re behaving like a child eager to see everything from the outside, forgetting the weight of responsibility on your shoulders and the family waiting at home—factors that should keep you alert.’” he explained.
Building a new reserve force after October 7
Fighting intensified on all fronts. Zilberman remained active as a commander and fighter in multiple sectors while General Staff investigations proceeded. The reviews confirmed what was already evident: the IDF faced a shortfall in regular and reserve combat personnel, especially units that could be mobilized quickly for sudden contingencies.
On October 7, the IDF was short tens of thousands of armed personnel capable of swiftly reaching the Gaza border, forming companies and battalions, repelling the Hamas assault, averting the massacre and kidnapping of hundreds of Israelis in border communities, and stabilizing the breached front.
To address the serious deficiencies revealed by that attack, Zilberman was tasked in 2025 with forming the Tzuri Battalion for the first time. This initiative belonged to a wider General Staff effort headed by Brig.‑Gen. Oren Simcha to create “David” brigades, aiming to close the combat‑manpower gap.
After October 7, the expansion of reserve forces became a priority, as the military sought to improve its rapid‑response capacity to emerging threats.
The General Staff initiative turned into an unexpected success, enlisting reserve soldiers who had left combat units as well as veterans who had finished their service years prior.
Since then, over twenty reserve battalions have been formed at different readiness levels, drawing on personnel who store personal weapons, rifles, and protective equipment at home. This arrangement drastically cuts response times during emergencies.
Their main role is to act as light, mobile reserve units that can deliver a flexible, rapid response to emerging threats, thwart terrorist incursions, and protect borders and interior regions, with each battalion given a preset operational plan and sector.
Amid the activity of commanders and fighters in the Maccabim area, Zilberman remarked this week: “The battalion’s formation process started roughly two years ago. This marks the first occasion we have assembled as a complete battalion—not for training, but for full operational deployment in both defense and offense under the Benjamin Regional Brigade, with all the complexities that this sector entails.”
Initially, the battalion encountered significant skepticism within the Judea and Samaria Division, with doubts about its ability to carry out the assigned mission: safeguarding a 50‑km seam line and establishing a defensive belt around Modi’in and nearby communities.
As time went on and results accumulated, Central Command opted to broaden the battalion’s mandate, assigning it offensive tasks such as arrests, security operations, searches in complex terrain, and, at its height, battalion‑scale operations.
From emergency response to nightly operations
“In my view, this represents one of the most significant milestones a battalion can achieve during its formation,” Zilberman said. “I joined the establishment process while still engaged in combat in Gaza. It unfolded like a wave and ripples: I appointed a deputy battalion commander, and from there everything progressed step by step, with everyone contributing and bringing in friends.”
“Then something remarkable occurred: using the ‘friend brings a friend’ approach, a complete battalion was assembled, with all requisite positions and administrative structure in place. The ranks include fighters from every infantry brigade—some of the finest troops available.”
Reserve soldiers have been pivotal to Israel’s wartime mobilization, with thousands returning to active duty as the IDF expands its operations on several fronts.
Nearly every night, the battalion conducts offensive operations in Palestinian villages, arresting wanted individuals and searching locations for weapons and dual‑use equipment employed in terrorism.
“As in the Gaza Strip, defense here is not limited to the gate line; it extends beyond the fence lines to keep threats away from roads and communities,” the battalion commander said.
The battalion’s accomplishments to date include over ten arrests, the apprehension of more than 100 infiltrators—thirty of whom have been sent to prison—close coordination with intelligence units, the discovery of weapons (including IDF uniforms uncovered in a Palestinian residence), and three battalion‑level operations at friction points.
The IDF has repeatedly stressed the need to thwart terrorist attacks before they reach Israeli communities, especially in regions adjacent to vulnerable borders and population hubs.
Zilberman stated that the fighters’ motivation remains the battalion’s most vital asset.
“It is impossible to attribute the motivation to a single factor. Perhaps it stems from the significance of this moment, the importance of the mission, and the desire to participate in this challenging war since October 7,” he said.
Asked what his battalion would have done at 6:29 a.m. on October 7 if it had existed then, Zilberman answered:
“It would have mustered from home within minutes, and within fifteen minutes received its deployment point, with weapons and vests already stored in their safes. A lightning‑quick battalion capable of doing precisely what we desperately needed on October 7—forces organizing into an orderly framework that delivers a rapid response within the country’s borders.”
Toward the end of the interview, Zilberman discussed the families who support the reserve fighters.
“Without the genuine support of their families, the reservists could not sustain today’s level of security in Israel. These families deserve daily recognition; they stand out among the outstanding, and the Israeli public must never forget their contribution.”