The IDF on Tuesday denied a petition by soldiers to allow women to serve in all combat and frontline units.
However, it told the High Court of Justice that a new "pilot program" will let women apply for the Israeli Air Force's elite 669 heliborne search and rescue unit or the Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit for bomb disposal positions.
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Yahalom is an elite unit and much of its activity is classified. The IDF's intent to integrate women into the unit's ranks is still under evaluation. A special team has been assigned to examine the issue to determine what criteria the women will have to meet and what weight they can be assigned to carry.
According to a framework plan, women will be assigned to female-only platoons, which will be attached to a bomb disposal company. The IDF has yet to announce the decision officially.
The military is also considering setting up female-only platoons in either the Givati or Nahal infantry brigades – mostly likely in combat intelligence or transport roles.
The program is the result of the recommendation of a panel appointed by the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi on the potential of women being allowed into more combat roles.
Kochavi's panel noted that "dozens" of women meet the criteria for combat roles each year but advised to wait with opening other units until after the pilot program.
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The move came in response to a petition filed by four female teenagers in May 2020 who asked the High Court to force the IDF to consider them for its special forces.
Rabbis at prominent hesder yeshivas told Israel Hayom, meanwhile, that the army's decision to allow women into more fighting units was a red line that will divide the army into religious and secular units.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
