Israel Army
| General Officer Commanding Army Headquarters | |
|---|---|
.svg)
MAZI flag (Mifkedet Zro'a ha-Yabasha)
|
|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Country |
 Israel |
| Allegiance |
 Israel Defense Forces
|
| Size | 133,000 active 380,000 reserve |
| Nickname(s) | Mazi |
| Engagements |
South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) First Intifada (1987–1993) Second Intifada (2000–2005) Second Lebanon War (2006) Operation Cast Lead (2008–2009) Pillar of Defense (2012) Protective Edge (2014) |
| Commanders | |
| Major general | Kobi Barak |
The Israeli GOC Army headquarters (Hebrew: זרוע היבשה, Zro'a ha-Yabasha, "Ground Arm"), known unofficially as Mazi, is a multi-corps command headquarters created in 1998, which amalgamates the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces. The current size of the Israeli Ground Forces is estimated at roughly 133,000 active soldiers and 380,000 soldiers in reserve.
The GOC Army Headquarters is known unofficially as Mazi, the Hebrew pronunciation for an acronym for "Ground Arm Command" (מז"י, (מפקדת זרוע היבשה, Mifkedet Zro'a ha-Yabasha), which was the GOC Army Headquarters' previous name before being renamed to the current "Ground Arm" (זרוע היבשה). After this renaming, the acronym MAZI officially refers nowadays to "Commander of the Ground Arm" (מפקד זרוע היבשה, Mefaked Zro'a Ha-Yabasha). However the old acronym MAZI still remains the popular name for the GOC Army Headquarters.
MAZI includes the five ground-warfare corps of specific military functions:
In addition, MAZI includes four "staff divisions":
Under the IDF 2000 reforms, MAZI was set to become the IDF's third Arm, alongside the Air and Space Arm and the Sea Arm. Until the creation of MAZI, IDF ground forces were directly subordinated to the Chief of Staff through the Regional Commands (North, South, and Central). The intention of the reform was to subordinate the ground forces to one ground commander, who is a part of the Joint Staff, by the example of the Israeli Air Force and Navy; and unlike most of the other armed forces, where operational Army, Air Force, and Navy plus other auxiliary support units, are all subordinated to unified commands.
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