Elite troops from the IDF’s counterterrorism unit , Lotar, have been deployed to scenes of destruction across Israel following Iranian missile barrages.

These highly trained soldiers, more accustomed to battles in Gaza or southern Lebanon, are now operating in the heart of Israel’s urban centers— Tel Aviv , Ramat Gan , Bat Yam , and Be’er Sheva —clearing buildings, locating trapped civilians, and aiding in rescue operations.

Footage from Lotar operations

Staff Sgt. A. (27), a breaching team commander, has participated in 16 rounds of fighting in Gaza. “We deployed six teams across the country at the onset of the war,” he said. “After the first missile strike, it became clear there was a gap in the ability to reach civilians trapped inside buildings. We bring our operational experience from arrests in the West Bank and our demolitions background, entering towers in Petah Tikva, opening them up for security forces and the Home Front Command.”

The unit also includes a specialized team in rope rescue and UAV (drone) operators who can launch drones in seconds to identify trapped individuals from above. “There’s no feeling like opening a door to find a 75-year-old man in heart failure and being able to help him,” said A.

3 View gallery Lotar troops on scenes of Iranian missile strikes ( Photo: IDF )

Their drone unit was established in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks. A. recalled that day: “By 8 a.m., we had launched to rescue one of our own in Sderot—he was killed. We found ourselves fighting in Sderot, Urim, Nir Yitzhak, and Be’eri. At the Urim base, a reservist joined us. He suggested launching a drone. Moments later, he spotted a terrorist hiding near a bomb shelter. We stepped back just in time before he threw a grenade. That drone saved our lives.”

3 View gallery ( Photo: IDF )

These same capabilities were deployed after the Iranian missile strikes. Sgt. B., a drone operator, described his shock: “It’s surreal. You arrive and see total destruction—the same sights and smells as a combat zone—but this time it’s in Tel Aviv or Ramat Gan. These are civilian homes. It could’ve been mine.”

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Lt. Col. A. said the images resembled Gaza: “You enter Ramat Gan and feel like you’re in Khan Younis. Then you see ZAKA and MDA teams everywhere and snap back to focus.” At Soroka Medical Center, after a direct missile hit, the team helped evacuate the wounded, including a terrified disabled man. “We had to explain everything gently. We’re trained to lift wounded into stretchers under fire—but here, we had to walk calmly, explain, reassure.”

3 View gallery Footage from a unit’s drone ( Photo: IDF )

“As a fighter and commander, when I enter a building, my instinct is to prepare for an ambush,” he added. “Now I charge in to find civilians under rubble. That mental shift—between combat and compassion—is something every soldier here has to make.”

Sgt. Sh., a female commander in the rope rescue unit, also reached Soroka. “The hospital was wrecked. We train for this—high-level structural collapse, locating survivors—but seeing it here, in Israel, it’s not easy. Still, it’s inspiring how many people came to help. It’s a terrible situation, but the support is overwhelming.”