The Steel Division Memorial (Andartat Utzbet HaPlada) commemorates the soldiers of the IDF’s armored divisions who fought to defend the communities of the Gaza Envelope and the southern border. The memorial, located near the border, honors the tank crews and armored soldiers who served in the region across multiple conflicts, from the War of Independence through the ongoing security operations.
The Memorial
The memorial features tank monuments, commemorative walls inscribed with the names of fallen soldiers, and information about the armored units’ service history in the region. The open terrain around the memorial, flat and exposed, is classic tank country, and standing at the site you understand why armored forces have been central to the defense of the western Negev. The memorial is a place of remembrance for the armored corps veterans and their families, and it is visited on memorial days and by military groups.
Armored Corps in the South
The armored divisions have played a critical role in every major conflict in the southern region: holding the line during the 1948 War of Independence, fighting in the Sinai campaigns of 1956 and 1967, defending against the Egyptian crossing in 1973, and providing rapid response to security incidents along the Gaza border. On October 7, 2023, tank crews were among the first military responders to reach the communities under attack, and their role in the defense of the Gaza Envelope added a new chapter to the armored corps’ history in the south.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Steel Division Memorial honors the armored soldiers who defended the southern border. Hoshen Tours includes it in Gaza Envelope itineraries alongside Sderot and the Nova memorial.