In Syria, Israel’s female field intelligence soldiers power the IDF's covert operations

They discussed what it means to be part of a new generation of women who operate inside Syria, monitor increased Iranian activity in the area, and navigate growing tensions with local Syrian residents who were once grateful for the IDF’s presence. They also discussed breaking the glass ceiling for women in combat roles in the IDF. Women now make up more than 50% of their unit.

‘N.’ and ‘R.’ specialize in a combination of direct visual surveillance and drone-based field intelligence collection.

In late 2025, a different group of female soldiers revealed that they had penetrated as far as 18 kilometers beyond the buffer zone into Syria. The operation included providing field guidance for the 890th Paratroopers Battalion.

During one operation, the soldiers studied four individuals who were working for, or associated with, Iran or Iranian agents. Each individual had to be analyzed separately, including their movements, schedules, and habits, one soldier, identified as ‘S.’, said at the time.

By October of this year, however, the soldiers could no longer disclose how far they were penetrating into Syria.

This came amid repeated public pressure from the Trump administration for Israel to scale back its activities in Syria and begin partial withdrawals from its buffer zone.

Nevertheless, all three interviewees, ‘N.’, ‘R.’, and ‘O.’, emphasized that they continued to carry out missions throughout southern Syria, quietly but aggressively.

The IDF has also issued several updates in recent weeks, including an announcement that it killed Iranian-linked Syrian terrorist Yusef Ali al-Hasan on October 9.

According to the IDF, al-Hasan was killed because of his involvement in a series of terrorist activities against Israeli forces, including drone operations and previous rocket fire from southern Syria.

In two separate incidents on October 4 and 5, the IDF also opened fire on three other suspects in Syria.

In the first incident, an IDF reservist from the Carmeli Brigade spotted a suspect attempting to infiltrate an IDF position and shot him dead. The suspect was found to be unarmed, and the incident is under review.

In the second incident, two suspects approached an IDF position in Syria on a motorcycle. IDF soldiers opened fire, wounding one of them, and arrested both for questioning.

These announcements followed a period in which the IDF had been relatively quiet about its activities in Syria, apart from an August 18 attack on a Turkish position. The relative silence came amid pressure from the Trump administration and growing reports of tensions with local Syrian civilians, some of whom have become increasingly frustrated with the IDF’s presence as it approaches its second anniversary.

What do these developments mean for future Israeli-Syrian security relations and intelligence collection along the border?

According to ‘N.’, who has served for two years and eight months, “our job is to guard the civilians, to secure this front, and to collect as much intelligence as possible.”

Asked how she and her unit determine where to focus their intelligence collection efforts within Israel’s extensive security zone in Syria and beyond, she said: “We have technological tools, and we do not work alone. We work with other intelligence partners, there are other IDF forces, and we get intelligence also from higher-ranking headquarters officers.”

Asked how long she had spent in the field on a single deployment, ‘N.’ explained that it varied according to the situation.

“It changes all the time, according to the [character of a specific] period. It could be a few days, or it could be a few hours. The longest was probably around a week, or a bit longer,” she said.

‘N.’ said she had spent longer periods in the field during the June 2025 war with Iran.

“The whole environment was hotter and more unstable, and there was a need for higher readiness, so we did what was required of us,” she said.

While international attention was focused on Israeli airstrikes against Iran and Iranian missiles launched at Israel, activity in Syria also increased.

“Whenever the situation is more tense, there are more incidents, so you need to be more ready in the field,” ‘N.’ said.

She also described an operation in which the unit gathered intelligence on several hostile individuals over a period of days.

“We collected intelligence on multiple hostiles over a period of days. We returned to the same area multiple times – and then an operation was carried out,” she said.

The process involves determining who a target is, whom they meet, and when and how those meetings take place.

“You try to find out who this is, who he meets with, when, and how,” she said, explaining that the soldiers also monitor the times of day or night when a target carries out activities or holds meetings.

‘N.’ emphasized that her unit’s role is to gather the information needed to help other forces carry out operations safely and effectively.

“[Our role is] to collect as much relevant intelligence as possible, so that the [IDF] forces which carry out the operation afterward will be able to do so in the most secure and optimal manner possible,” she said.

The soldiers collect intelligence both during the day and at night, ‘N.’ added, noting that “a lot of activities happen at night,” when people are harder to observe.

‘R.’, who has served for more than two years, described her experience leading teams and managing the unit’s operational readiness.

“I have commanded a few different units, including responsibilities for equipment and technology. I was a team leader [for a small unit] for running the operational activities regarding intelligence and regarding the readiness of the unit, working on their professionalism and their combat knowledge,” she said.

“We carried out many operations to get as much information as the brigade needed. We kept our eyes peeled for [collecting intelligence for] them. Sometimes they also ask for very specific intelligence, and we get as much as we can for them,” she added.

‘R.’ said soldiers must look beyond the immediate target during an operation to understand the broader context.

“Sometimes when you go out to perform an operation, it is easy to just focus on the main mission-target itself, but you can miss some of the important [secondary] things going on around the mission-focus,” she said.

She stressed the importance of connecting the unit’s observations to the overall situation in the area being monitored.

‘R.’ explained that the soldiers do not always know how an operation ultimately unfolds. They therefore try to learn what happened afterward, allowing them to understand how their work contributed to the mission.

The feedback is also important for morale, she said, helping soldiers feel that their work has made a difference even when they do not see the final outcome.

Regarding the choice between direct visual surveillance and drones, ‘R.’ said the decision depends on the mission and the target’s location.

“It depends on the mission. Where is the target? What do you need to do to get [close enough to observe the target] there?” she said.

“We have lots of different tools, and our job is to be skilled enough to choose each time what is the right tool to accomplish the mission in the best way possible,” she added.

Asked whether direct observation was preferable, with drones used when approaching a target would risk exposing the soldiers, ‘R.’ said the priority was to get as close as possible without compromising their safety.

“We want to be as close to the target as possible, without endangering ourselves. We are a clandestine unit. So we do need to keep our distance sometimes, but each time is different,” she said.

Asked about situations in which she and her fellow soldiers had faced danger, ‘R.’ said they could sense when a front was becoming more volatile, whether because of Iranian activity or threats from other groups.

Part of what helped them cope, she said, was the close-knit nature of the unit.

“We are always together, and each of us is there for the next-door soldier. So even if there is a bit more fear or official threat warnings, we have each other's backs, and this is one of the best things [about the unit],” she said.

‘R.’ added that the soldiers supported one another through conversations, body language, and eye signals, particularly when operations required them to remain silent.

“There is a dynamic between the [female] soldiers [in the unit] that they can do this [communicate] even without speaking – this is awesome, and it shows true sisterhood between the women. It is inspiring to see this, and even fun,” she said. “But sometimes with these matters which can cause stress, we need to focus and perform our operations. Then later we get to celebrate it.”

Asked how the unit determines whether a target is linked to Iran, Hamas, HTS, the Syrian regime, or another group, ‘R.’ said the process relies on cooperation with intelligence headquarters.

“These are matters that come to us from intelligence [headquarters]. We also help each other in both directions. They give me guidance in a direction about what I need to search for and look for, and I can help them in another direction, including signs relating to HTS or another group,” she said.

She added that surveillance operations are often repeated to build a more complete intelligence picture of a potential threat.

‘R.’ agreed that activity in Syria had intensified recently, saying that the soldiers could feel the change through sudden mission call-ups and other indications.

“It is felt. It is felt. Whether due to sudden mission call-ups of the unit [or other signs], but we are always ready, whether it [a threat] plays out or not, we are ready to stay here and we are not afraid,” she said.

Capt. ‘O.’ commands the larger company to which ‘N.’ and ‘R.’ belong.

He has spent his entire five-and-a-half-year military service in the Golan Heights, including operating in Syria since December 2024, when the IDF established its buffer zone following the fall of the Assad regime.

“Once we understood what was happening with the revolution [against the Assad regime], we saw this was an amazing opportunity,” he said.

‘O.’ said the decision to establish the buffer zone was driven by the opportunity to strengthen Israel’s security by moving its defensive position forward.

“We were ready. It was not a question of whether to go in [to set up a Syrian buffer zone]. It was [only a question of] when do we go in so we can defend from a forward position. Our job is to prevent enemies from getting into Jewish towns which are right next to us here,” he said, gesturing toward nearby residential areas.

Asked about the elevated threat from Iran, including the recent incidents publicized by the IDF, ‘O.’ said the situation involved increased friction.

“There is more friction. There is more ongoing friction. We have no problem with some friction. It is a good thing as it makes us readier for anything and everything [appearing] at any place,” he said.

‘O.’ responded that attempts to establish terrorist infrastructure in Syria continued.

“There is always an attempt to establish [a terror] apparatus. And they will always remain [at some level]. They want to destroy us, and they will [try to] do this however they can,” he said.

He added that hostile groups would continue to look for different ways to threaten Israel, but said the IDF was prepared to defend residents and visitors to the Golan Heights.

“So sometimes they will try one way, and sometimes they will try another way, but we are ready for everything, ready to defend the civilians and tourists who live in and tour the Golan,” he said.

During the summer, he added, the area attracted many tourists, requiring the soldiers to work harder to protect them. With winter approaching, visitors would again come to see the snow on Mount Hermon, and the IDF would need to protect them as well.

Asked about diplomatic pressure to reduce Israeli operations in Syria and eventually withdraw partially from the buffer zone, ‘O.’ said those decisions were outside his remit.

“I am not part of the political echelon. I am at the tactical level…I receive orders, and I carry them out,” he said.

“What they order me to do, I do. Where they tell me to be, I will be there. If there is an operation which is approved or not, [when it is approved] we will do it as best as possible,” he added. “Whoever decides what the missions will be, that is way over my head. I am not part of these debates…I deal with the here and now.”

Asked whether he had noticed a freeze in operations following US demands, ‘O.’ said such decisions were made at higher levels and that he had not necessarily observed a change in his daily work.

“This is a decision made at the higher levels. I don’t know if I feel this [change]. We have lots of missions every day. I don’t necessarily feel there are more or fewer missions,” he said.

‘O.’ also described the difficulty of distinguishing between hostile operatives and civilians in Syria.

“The people who want to harm us are not fools. They know where to be, when to be there, how to present themselves,” he said, explaining that they also know how to observe others without attracting attention.

He added that hostile operatives can conceal themselves within the civilian population, making it difficult to distinguish between terrorists and civilians.

‘O.’ said the IDF draws on a wide range of capabilities to identify and neutralize threats, with his unit contributing intelligence gathered through clandestine observation and drones.

“The IDF is a very powerful military in all of its sections and on all of the platforms that one can use. We all do this together. In the end, I provide another perspective to complement the broader IDF picture,” he said.

He added that he was part of a larger intelligence apparatus that combines different sources and methods to address specific threats.

“In the end, there is an integration of various kinds of intelligence which collectively provide an answer to more specific issues,” he said.

However, neither ‘N.’ nor ‘R.’ believed the situation had deteriorated dramatically. They said the soldiers were still generally received warmly.

“We receive more cherries than rocks,” ‘R.’ said, although she acknowledged that tense encounters sometimes occurred and that the soldiers had to remain prepared for any eventuality.

‘R.’ described the challenges of gathering intelligence on Hezbollah in Lebanon, noting that the group operates differently from other adversaries.

“Hezbollah is a different organization and it uses different tools and methods. We use different tools and methods [against them],” she said.

‘R.’ added that her unit had been heavily involved in Lebanon during the IDF’s early 2026 invasion, describing the work as more intense in some respects than intelligence collection along a relatively quiet border.

Asked about serving as a woman in a combat role, ‘N.’ said she had wanted to become a combat soldier since childhood.

“Even as a child, I always wanted to be a combat fighter, so no one was surprised that I went into combat,” she said. “Now I think that the biggest contribution female combat fighters can make is in intelligence collection. I really believe in what I and we are doing.”

‘N.’ said that while her own company was supportive, she had encountered resistance outside the unit.

“My company knows how to deal with this, but I had experiences outside my unit which were not the nicest,” she said.

“There are still both men and women who do not accept this, especially reservists who do not love it. I explained it to them, but we still have a long way to go,” she added.

In some cases, she said, she had managed to reach a “tie” with people who were initially opposed to women serving in combat roles, even if they had not fully changed their views.

‘N.’ said she had generally been admitted to the IDF bases she visited, but there had been occasions when soldiers refused to let her and her fellow soldiers stay overnight because the bases lacked separate sleeping quarters or bathrooms for women.

“It depends on who is the commander and what kind of unit is there at the time,” she said.

‘R.’ said women could perform some tasks as well as men, and in some cases better, pointing to their attention to detail and patience.

“Some things are the same and some things we can do better [than men]. The day-to-day work is less physical,” she said.

Like ‘N.’, ‘R.’ said she generally received cooperation from other IDF bases, although acceptance from male counterparts sometimes depended on the commander in charge.

At higher levels, including the battalion and brigade commands, she said, the unit enjoyed full support because senior officers understood its contribution.

“They understand what we bring to the table,” she said.

‘R.’ recalled an instance in which someone who had initially been skeptical of her role later recognized its value when he needed her help.

“Hopefully, once someone was not excited about me [being a female soldier], but then a week later, he needed me to find something,” she said, describing how their relationship improved.

Such experiences, she added, motivated the soldiers to work harder and demonstrate their capabilities.

“It just motivates us to work harder and in the end we get results,” she said.

The two female soldiers were divided on whether they were ready to see a woman become IDF chief of staff.

‘O.’, meanwhile, said he judged soldiers by their ability to carry out their missions, regardless of gender.

“I expect the same thing from female and male combat soldiers. I do not say a mission is for men or for women. It can be either one for any given mission,” he said.

“We need to remember we are all working toward the same goal: to defend the citizenry – whether a man or a woman doesn’t matter,” he concluded.