Lotarלוט״ר
How to get into Lotar, and what its training looks like
The fighters and instructors of the IDF's counter-terror warfare school.
Profile 82+MenRed
Lotar asks for a medical profile of 82 and up and a Hebrew score of 5.
The medical profile runs from 21 to 97.
The Hebrew score runs from 1 to 9.
- Open to
- Men
- Medical profile
- 82 and up
- Hebrew score
- 5
- Where it serves
- Mitkan Adam.
Lotar trains the elite units in urban warfare, breaching, advanced shooting, taking over buildings, hostage rescue and close combat, and its fighters take part in operations themselves.
Training starts at the paratroopers' base and goes on at Mitkan Adam. The IDF does not publish its length.
The way into Lotar runs through 3 steps.
- 1Yom Sayarot and the reconnaissance model.
- 2The unit's selection.
- 3The draft.
Training at Lotar runs through these stages.
- Initial training at the paratroopers' base (the IDF gives no length for this stage)
- Advanced training at Mitkan Adam (the IDF gives no length for this stage)
The IDF's guides say what to train for before the screening.
The IDF's guide to Yom Sayarot says to start training at least three months before it, with 3 to 5 aerobic sessions and 2 to 3 strength sessions a week, and to keep hard training out of the week before it.
- AerobicSun
- StrengthMon
- AerobicTue
- StrengthWed
- AerobicThu
- RestFri
- RestSat
An example week at the lowest the IDF's guide suggests: 3 aerobic sessions and 2 of strength, the kind changing from day to day.
The full guide to preparing: profile, Dapar, Yom Sayarot and a training routine
The role has its own page on the IDF's site for future soldiers.
- Lotar (Counter-Terror Warfare School) combat soldierInfantry
Units to read about alongside Lotar.
OketzעוקץThe canine unit: its fighters go into action with trained dogs alongside commando forces.Profile 82+16 to 18 monthsMen and womenRed
DuvdevanדובדבןThe Commando Brigade's counter-terror unit, working mostly in Judea and Samaria, in the open and undercover.Profile 82+about 16 monthsMenRed
Yahalomיהל״םThe Combat Engineering Corps' special missions unit, for tunnels, explosives and breaching.Profile 82+about 8 monthsMenLight grey
Frequently asked questions
What does Lotar ask for?
The IDF's page asks for a profile of 82 and up and a Hebrew score of 5.
How do you get into Lotar?
Yom Sayarot and the reconnaissance model. The unit's selection. The draft.
How long is training at Lotar?
The IDF gives no single length for the whole training: Initial training at the paratroopers' base; Advanced training at Mitkan Adam.
Can women serve in Lotar?
The IDF's page names men only. Women fighters can choose other units, and the IDF commits to give a woman fighter one of her first three choices.
This page was written from the IDF's pages for future soldiers, read on 6 November 2026.
- The IDF's page for the role: Lotar (Counter-Terror Warfare School) combat soldier
- The IDF's full guide to Yom Sayarot
- Preparing the body for Yom Sayarot
- Try-outs
- The medical profile
The requirements and screenings change from time to time, and the IDF's page for each role is the one that counts.
Photo credits
- IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Israel Defense Forces, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons