How the IDF coordinates combat on the northern front: An insider's look

The northern district’s central command is deep underground and receives a significant volume of intelligence to direct and manage IDF operations in the north. It is led by Brigadier General (Brig.-Gen.) (res.) Benny Mehr. The IDF explored his command center to understand how combat is controlled from a distance, the military reported. 

“What’s happening there? From which direction did we attack?” the Brig.-Gen. asked, while pointing at a screen in his command center, the IDF noted as they entered the command center. 

Brig.-Gen. Mehr is one of three in charge of managing battles on the northern front, including deciding on carrying out targeted strikes, intercepting drones, coordinating combat soldiers, and issuing orders. He said that the pace is fast, and at times, it's hard for him to keep up with everything happening.

Everything that happens in the north goes through this room. The executive command is issued to soldiers from this room. "Just like the heart pumps blood throughout the body, we pump orders throughout the northern sector," Mehr explained. "Every immediate operational event that has occurred in the last 24 hours ends up in our hands."

"The situation report on the deployment of forces is constantly updated in the command center," he elaborated. "At any given moment, information from the field flows to us. Based on that, I issue orders back to the soldiers."

Objectives of the Brigadier General

One of the objectives of the Brigadier General is to streamline and improve operations on the battlefield based on past conclusions and lessons learned from combat. 

"We realized that it would be beneficial to implement the insights gained in the southern sector from the beginning of the operation," the Brig.-Gen. explained. "Together with the Southern Command, we held joint meetings to refine our war strategy."

The command center isn’t limited to coordinating combat teams. Firefighters, the Home Front Command, and the Shin Bet also play significant roles in the work. 

"They have a different perspective on the information," he emphasized, "which sheds light on areas where our understanding might be lacking."

This room receives numerous reports daily. While the main challenge used to be finding intelligence, at this point in the war, it's completely different. 

"Thanks to the command and control systems that have advanced in recent years, we now have a wealth of information that wasn’t available before. Today, we can sift through the data, identify the precise information, and send it to the right place at the right time—all through intense, round-the-clock teamwork."