Israeli military demands 14,500 new recruits, situation 'not good'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
1 Mar 2024 20:08
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The Israeli General Staff has demanded that the Treasury allow for the recruitment of 7,500 officers and 7,000 soldiers.

Israeli occupation forces stand next to the grave of an officer killed in Gaza, in 48' occupied territories, occupied Palestine, on February 22, 2024. (AP)

In response to a critical shortage in manpower, Israeli military authorities are urgently seeking to add at least 7,000 soldiers and 7,500 officers, emphasizing the severity of the situation, Israeli news website Ynet reported.

The call, issued on March 1, comes in the wake of almost 150 days of an Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which has cost the occupation thousands of troops, who were either killed or suffered permanent disabilities. The Israeli military's General Staff has revealed the pressing need for 7,500 officers and noncommissioned officers, a demand that significantly surpasses the current approval of 2,500 by the Treasury for upcoming recruitment lists.

As part of efforts to address the manpower crisis, Security Minister Yoav Gallant recently advocated for ending draft exemptions for members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis, according to Ynet. Gallant emphasized the importance of all segments sharing the burden of military service, the news website reported.

Gallant stressed that he would not allow for exemptions to ultra-Orthodox Jews, which is a highly contended issue within Israeli politics. He said he would only do so if all members of the Israeli war cabinet agreed on exemptions.

However, this stance may lead to tensions within the ruling governmental coalition headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as ultra-Orthodox parties are considered vital to the government's stability.

Contrary to potential political implications, the call for increased manpower from the IOF is described as a response to the urgent and evolving threat landscape.

"The situation is simply not good and does not match the threat map," Ynet wrote.

'Israel' on an all-time downturn

In fact, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, launched by the Palestinian Resistance, put a heavy burden on several formations and units of the Israeli occupation, who lost multiple top-ranking and mid-tier officers in a few hours. The occupation's invasion pushed the total number of deaths of Israeli troops to 582 and injured thousands of others, as Palestinian Resistance fighters and Hezbollah confront the Israelis on two fronts.

The effects of the war have not only affected the Israeli military but have also been detrimental to major sectors of the Israeli economy. Mobilization and loss of manpower have had drawbacks on the available Israeli workforce, productive sectors of the economy, and the tourism sector.

Faced with one of the greatest shocks and embarrassments to its setter community on October 7, "Israel" has pushed all aside and focused on mobilizing militarily, hoping to regain what it had lost in terms of its reputation as a formidable occupying force in West Asia and the security that its settlers now lack.

If promises to launch a wide-scale aggression on Lebanon were actualized, the stress on the Israeli military formations may bring them to a breaking point, as several remain in disarray, including special units and essential Brigades that dealt heavy hits. The demanded increase in the number of recruits comes despite the fact that the Israeli military had mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists to service, which speaks to the level of damage inflicted on the military.