Yossi Pinto

Yossi Pinto was born in 1992 in Mitzpe Ramon

Pinto was born in Mitzpe Ramon. His parents served in the career army at the Ramon base. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Haifa.

He joined the IDF in August 1993 and served as a soldier in the Duchifat Battalion. After infantry officers' course he returned to the battalion as a platoon and then company commander, and he was wounded in the Western Wall Tunnel riots. He became deputy battalion commander in 2000 and operations officer of the Binyamin Brigade in 2004.

In 2007 he took command of the Duchifat Battalion as a lieutenant colonel, until 2009. He was later deputy commander of the Kfir Brigade and operations officer of the artillery formation. In 2012 he became a colonel and commander of the Binyamin Brigade, serving during Operation Brother's Keeper.

He then led the Fire Training Center and served as operations officer of the Home Front Command from 2015 to 2017. After the National Security College, he commanded the Rescue Brigade from 2018 to 2020. He was the IDF attaché in Greece from 2020 until his discharge in 2023.

In January 2024, during the Swords of Iron war, he was named commander of the National Search and Rescue Unit, a reserve unit under the Home Front Command chief. He was promoted to brigadier general in June 2026. He is married with 2 children.