Lotar Counter Terror School

Unit 707, Lotar, is the authority on everything related to Counter Terror Warfare for the entire Israeli Special Forces.
The Unit has two functions within the IDF:
First: It operates as the Primary Counter Terror School and is the sole certifying authority for everything related to Counter Terror Warfare
This includes certifying every Counter Terror Operator and Unit within the Special Forces community in hand to hand combat, underground warfare, close quarters combat, sniping, tactical rappelling and more.


They are not only qualified command level instructors, each LOTAR operator conducts infield operations throughout Israel in order to remain effective in their various teaching environments. The LOTAR’s second function is as an operational Counter Terror Unit under the Central Command.

The Unit has both a War Time operational role as well as maintaining readiness for hostage situations during Peace Time.
During designated wars, the LOTAR unit may be deployed as an individual unit or may be attached to an Infantry Battalion for incursions into urban areas.
During Peace Time operations, the Unit is tasked with a multitude of various mission profiles. These include high-risk entries, searches, and arrests of wanted terrorists throughout the West Bank, response and intervention to active terror attacks and various other unconventional missions including hostage rescue and counter intelligence.


Lotar was established in 1974 after the terror attack known as the Ma'alot massacre. 3 armed Palestinian terrorist infiltrated into Israel from Lebanon and entered Netiv Meir Elementary School in Maalot, taking over 100 children hostage. A failed rescue attempt by Sayeret Matkal, the IDF’s tier 1 SF unit, resulted in the murder of 21 schoolchildren before the hostage takers were killed.
Despite being heavily experienced at fighting complex wars, the IDF was not prepared for this type of threat. This gave birth to Israel’s new National Counter Terrorism Mandate.
The mandate called for the creation of new laws and rules of engagement against terrorism, the creation of specialized counter terror units, and the establishment of a new IDF Counter Terror School that would govern the subject of counter terror warfare and train these new units. LOTAR was born.


The LOTAR unit has a recruitment process similar to all other Special Forces units in the IDF. It’s comprised of several intensive interviews, psychological tests and 15 month qualification course.
The course runs around 18 hours per day, each day for its entire duration covering a rigorous and intense daily and nightly schedule of Counter Terror Warfare, Tactical Shooting, and Krav Maga. By the end of the Unit’s Q-course, approximately 25 recruits are left standing. They will have earned their LOTAR Counter Terror Warrior pin and will only then officially enter the Unit.

The LOTAR is also in charge of governing all TTP’s (Tactics, Techniques, and Protocols) deployed in the field by the entire IDF Special Forces. They are also responsible for developing any new TTP’s required by Units to address new emerging threats they face at the hands of the multitude of terror organization. ranging from Hezbollah and Hamas, to Al-Qaeda and Isis. If a new enemy TTP is discovered, through intelligence or through an engagement in the field, or if a terror group finds a way to counter any current TTP’s of IDF Units, the LOTAR is immediately tasked with developing a counter TTP to ensure all Units constantly remain in the most optimal disposition to defeat all terror threats they engage.


With Israel constantly in the sights of the most battle-hardened terror groups who are determined to exterminate it at all cost, it is Israel’s Counter Terror capabilities that allow it exist.

During the day, the LOTAR is busy perfecting the counter terror capabilities of all the IDF’s elite Soldiers, at night while the citizens of Israel sleep, LOTAR Warriors do their part in taking out the terror infrastructure that threatens Israel’s existence.