The Israel Defense Forces Gaza Division (Territorial), is subordinate to the Southern Regional Command. Its area of operation is the Gaza Strip and the area surrounding it. The division's commander is Brigadier-General Mickey Edelstein, who replaced Yossi Bachar on November 4, 2012.
The Gaza Division had been entrusted with the safety and security of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip after the Six-Day War in times of peace and armed conflict. In August 2005, the division, along with the rest of the IDF, officially ended its presence in the Gaza Strip as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan when Jewish settlements were dismantled. However, the Gaza Division has repeatedly entered the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups based in Gaza.