IDF Begins Process to Recognize October 7 Heroes with Military Honors

The IDF has begun the process of reviewing and awarding citations of valor and decorations for acts of heroism during the battles from October 7, 2023, until the start of the ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

An initial discussion on the matter was held last night, led by the head of the Manpower Directorate, Major General Dado Bar Kalifa, and the president of the Military Court of Appeals, Major General Orly Markman, with the participation of all IDF brigade and sector commanders.

During the discussion, commanders were presented with the framework approved by the Chief of Staff for reviewing outstanding acts of heroism by IDF personnel during the battles of October 7, 2023, through the start of the ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip.

The process will be carried out in several stages. First, commanders at the brigade level will submit their recommendations for citations of valor and decorations for approval by the division commander. The recommendations will then be forwarded for approval by the relevant major general. Approved recommendations will be passed on to a theater committee, headed by an officer with the rank of major general.

In the next stage, a General Staff committee will convene to review the theater committee's recommendations for the Chief of Staff Citation and military decorations.

The General Staff committee's recommendations will then be submitted to the Chief of Staff for a decision. Recommendations for the Medal of Valor will subsequently be forwarded to the Defense Minister for approval.

As part of the process, the Chief of Staff instructed that theater committees be established to review commanders' recommendations, alongside a General Staff committee responsible for recommending candidates for the Chief of Staff Citation and decorations. The composition of the committees will be submitted for approval and will include representatives from the regular army and reserves, as well as various IDF directorates and branches.

The IDF noted that alongside the heroism demonstrated by military personnel, extraordinary acts of civilian heroism also stood out during the battles from October 7 until the start of the ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, becoming part of the stories of heroism from that period.

As part of the process, suitable cases of extraordinary civilian heroism will be referred to the advisory committee to the President of Israel for review, in accordance with the existing mechanism for awarding the "President's Medal for Civilian Heroism." Under this mechanism, cases were reviewed and medals were awarded during the war. Additional cases referred to the President's Residence will also be examined by the committee.