IDF Deputy Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Amir Baram visited the 'Hasmonean' Brigade base to light the candle on the second night of Hanukkah. He assured the haredi fighters that the army would work to preserve their way of life and that there is no contradiction between devout Judaism and combat. The Hasmonean Brigade is the first haredi brigade in the IDF and is undergoing a $46 million transformation to accommodate specialized religious infrastructure. The plan is for the first haredi infantry battalion to be combat-ready by November 2025.