JERUSALEM (VINnews)-In a first for the Israel Defense Forces, a female combat soldier has completed training in the military’s elite Sayeret Matkal unit, the IDF announced Thursday.

The servicewoman finished a specially designed training track lasting more than a year and a half after passing preliminary screenings and meeting all required criteria, according to the IDF. She is expected to soon join the unit’s operational activities in accordance with military protocols governing mixed-gender service.

The pilot program allowing women to serve in Sayeret Matkal began in December 2024 as part of broader efforts to expand combat roles for female soldiers.

The IDF described the achievement as groundbreaking and congratulated the soldier on her accomplishment.

“At this time, maximizing the service potential of male and female soldiers from all sectors and populations is an imperative, and the IDF will continue to work toward this goal,” the military said in a statement.

The IDF has emphasized that the integration of women into additional combat positions is driven by operational and practical needs rather than a social agenda. Sayeret Matkal, known as one of the IDF’s premier special operations units, has historically been open only to men.