by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israel is expanding the IDF’s Unit 504, part of the Military Intelligence Directorate, which specializes in HUMINT (human intelligence). Previously operating covertly, the unit’s critical role during the war has made its activities vital to the army’s success, leading to Tuesday’s announcement of its significant expansion.
The IDF announced the expansion of Unit 504, including the promotion of its commander to brigadier general, highlighting its critical role during the war. The military credited the unit with leading operations across multiple fronts, resulting in the arrest and interrogation of thousands of Hamas terrorists, as well as operatives from Hezbollah and the Syrian front.
“Throughout the war, Unit 504 operated intensively on various fronts and led the effort in which thousands of Hamas terrorists, as well as from Hezbollah and the Syrian front, were arrested and interrogated,” the IDF stated.
The IDF revealed that Unit 504 conducted surveillance missions leading to targeted strikes and managed agents in enemy states. During the war, it reopened a unit in the Gaza Strip—closed for over a decade—significantly increasing its workload. To support these operations, the IDF is recruiting additional officers to manage agents and prepare for special missions in enemy territory.
In peacetime, the highly secretive Unit 504 operates entirely under the radar. As the IDF’s human intelligence unit, it functions as the military’s counterpart to similar units within the Mossad and Shin Bet.
Unit 504’s motto, drawn from the Bible, is: “To explore and spy out the country and overthrow it,” 1 Chronicles 19:3 (NIV). Its emblem features a stylized depiction of the biblical 12 spies returning from Canaan, carrying a branch of grapes.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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