The Israel Defense Forces will establish a branch to oversee operations related to cyberwarfare.

The new branch announced June 15 by Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, chief of the general staff, must be approved by Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon, the IDF said.

Functioning as a separate branch of the military, the cyber command will oversee all cyberwarfare operations: cyberdefense, cyberattacks, cyberintelligence gathering and operational planning.

It is expected to take two years to officially launch the cyber command, the IDF said.

“The IDF is required to excel in every aspect of war, including the cyber dimension, which is becoming more significant every day,” Eisenkot said in a statement. “This new command will empower the IDF to perform better in these fronts and will utilize the technological and human advantage that already exists in Israel.” — jta