[Jerusalem Post] The Jerusalem Post recently interviewed female field intelligence soldiers on the Syrian border, overlooking areas where they routinely conduct surveillance and penetration operations.
Meeting at the former Syrian intelligence building, captured during the 1967 Six Day War, near Merom Golan in the Golan Heights, and traveling along the border to the Quneitra lookout, the Post interviewed IDF Capt. ’O.’ and female intelligence collection soldiers ’N.’ and ’R.’ of Battalion 595.
They discussed what it means to be part of a new generation of women who operate inside Syria, monitor increased Iranian activity in the area, and navigate growing tensions with local Syrian residents who were once grateful for the IDF’s presence. They also discussed breaking the glass ceiling for women in combat roles in the IDF. Women now make up more than 50% of their unit.
’N.’ and ’R.’ specialize in a combination of direct visual surveillance and drone-based field intelligence collection.
The Post visited Battalion 595 about a year ago in a more southerly part of Israel’s buffer zone in Syria. During both visits, female intelligence soldiers described their efforts to locate and track a range of hostile groups, from Iranian operatives to Hamas members and regime-linked HTS jihadists.
In late 2025, a different group of female soldiers revealed that they had penetrated as far as 18 kilometers beyond the buffer zone into Syria. The operation included providing field guidance for the 890th Paratroopers Battalion.
During one operation, the soldiers studied four individuals who were working for, or associated with, Iran or Iranian agents. Each individual had to be analyzed separately, including their movements, schedules, and habits, one soldier, identified as ’S.’, said at the time.
By October of this year, however, the soldiers could no longer disclose how far they were penetrating into Syria.
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