| General Staff Reconnaissance Unit | |
|---|---|
| Sayeret Matkal | |
 Unit insignia | |
| Active | 5th Company, Unit 154 (1957–1958) Unit 269 (1958–?) Sayeret Matkal (?–present) 1957–present |
| Country | Israel |
| Branch |  Military Intelligence Directorate |
| Type | Sayeret |
| Size | Classified |
| Part of | IDF General Staff Headquarters Aman (Special Operations Division (He)) |
| Garrison/HQ | Southern Israel[1] |
| Nickname(s) | The Unit |
| Motto(s) | המעז מנצח (Who Dares Wins) |
| Colors | Maroon beret |
| Engagements | War of Attrition Yom Kippur War Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon Operation Entebbe 1982 Lebanon War South Lebanon conflict First Intifada Second Intifada 2006 Lebanon War 2014 Gaza War 2023 Israel–Hamas war |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Ehud Barak Yonatan Netanyahu Nehemiah Tamari Uzi Dayan Moshe Yaalon Omer Bar-Lev Benjamin Netanyahu Iddo Netanyahu |
General Staff Reconnaissance Unit[2] (formerly Unit 269 or Unit 262), more commonly known as Sayeret Matkal[3] (Hebrew: סיירת מטכ״ל), is the special reconnaissance unit (sayeret) of Israel's General Staff (matkal). It is considered one of the premier special forces units of Israel.[4]
First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also tasked with a wide variety of special operations, including black operations; as well as combat search and rescue, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, HUMINT, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, conducting manhunts, and reconnaissance beyond Israel's borders.[5][6] The unit is modeled after the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS), taking the unit's motto "Who Dares Wins". The unit is the Israeli equivalent of the SAS.[7] It is directly subordinate to the Special Operations Division of the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate.[8][9]
- ^ "בהשתתפות משפחות שכולות ומפקדי סיירת מטכ״ל: התקיים אירוע פרידה מבסיס סירקין". Israel Defense Forces. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Israel Special Forces: Sayeret Matkal". The Jewish Virtual Library (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "סיירת מטכ"ל – יחידת העילית הבכירה של ישראל – הכל על היחידה". אדרנלין (in Hebrew). 12 May 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "גיבוש מטכ״ל – תנאי קבלה, טיפים לגיבוש סיירת מטכל ועוד". Xpert כושר קרבי (in Hebrew). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "Sayeret Matkal, Israel's Tip Of The Spear, Preps For Hostage Rescue: Report". NDTV.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Webb, Brandon (6 September 2019). "Israel's Sayeret Matkal". SpecialOperations.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Sayeret Matkal – Israeli Special Operations". Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ Sof, Eric (15 May 2013). "Sayeret Matkal: A Israel's Equivalent to the Delta Force". Spec Ops Magazine. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Military Intelligence Directorate". www.idf.il. 29 December 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2023.