The unit’s success has drawn international attention with delegations from the UK’s SAS and Germany’s GSG 9 observing training exercises.

By Hezy Laing

The IDF’s Counter-Terror Monkey Unit, officially known as Unit Kof 7, is a specialized tactical team trained to scale buildings, rappel from helicopters, and conduct high-risk urban operations.

Formed in 2023 under the directive of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the unit was created in response to the increasing complexity of hostage rescue missions and urban terror threats in densely populated areas like Jenin and Gaza City.

Unit Kof 7 is composed of elite commandos selected from Shayetet 13 and Sayeret Matkal, with additional training in vertical assault, stealth infiltration, and multispecies coordination.

Trainees also undergo rigorous physical conditioning, Krav Maga combat training, and advanced breaching tactics at Mitkan Adam, the IDF’s central special forces base.

The unit’s success has drawn international attention, with delegations from the UK’s SAS and Germany’s GSG 9 observing training exercises in Negev’s Ramon Crater.

While classified it is known to have saved lives in scenarios where conventional tactics would have failed.

As urban warfare evolves, Unit Kof 7 represents a bold fusion of technology, biology, and tactical innovation.

The IDF rescued three hostages from Gaza on June 8, 2024, in a daring operation in Nuseirat.

During the mission, Arnon Zamora, an officer in the Kof 7 Unit, was killed in action.

The operation, later codenamed “Operation Arnon” in his honor, successfully freed Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov, who had been abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attacks.

The hostages were held in separate apartments within the Nuseirat refugee camp, a densely populated area in central Gaza.

The rescue was coordinated by the IDF, Shin Bet, and Yamam, Israel’s elite counter-terror police unit.

During the operation Arnon Zamora, 36, an officer in the Kof 7 Unit, was critically wounded during the raid and later died of his injuries.

He was a decorated officer and a father of two.

His death marked a solemn moment in the operation, which was otherwise hailed as a tactical success.

The IDF reported that dozens of Hamas operatives were killed during the rescue, which involved simultaneous assaults on multiple locations and extraction under heavy fire.