'Israel' demobilizes its reserve force as economy goes into crisis

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
21 Nov 2023 06:28
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The Israeli Ynet website says the Israeli military is demobilizing reservists on a wide scale, without providing an official statement on the matter.

Israeli occupation forces are seen stationed outside the Gaza Strip, in occupied Palestine, on November 20, 2023. (AP)

The Israeli occupation forces are demobilizing reservists on a wide scale, the Israeli Ynet news website reported.

The Israeli outlet's political affairs expert, Yossi Yehoshua, said that the Israeli military is demobilizing reservists without providing the public with an official announcement of the policy. It is worth noting that Yehoshua said that the number of reservists demobilized cannot be released, further indicating the secrecy under which the military command is operating.

According to the outlet, a senior officer in the Israeli military said that there is an intent to relieve more Israeli soldiers of their duties, as the military command attempts to conserve its forces as its aggression on the Gaza Strip drags on.

Calling up reservists to the occupation's military has heavily cost "Israel's" economy, according to previous reports that indicated that the Israeli workforce had suffered from the absence of reservists from their workspaces.

In a similar context, the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics reported a sharp increase in unemployment among Israelis, as the percentage of unemployed workers has risen from 3.4% in September 2023, to 9.6% in November.

According to the Israeli institute, the number of unemployed Israelis has reached 428,400, a huge surge when compared to September's figure of 163,000 individuals.

Following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the Israeli occupation forces called up around 360,000 reservists, as "Israel" prepared itself to invade the Gaza Strip with the aim of eradicating the Palestinian Resistance. The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has entered its 46th day, as the Resistance continues to execute operations behind enemy lines and repel forces surrounding Gaza City.

Recently, the spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, Abu Obeida, revealed that the Resistance faction had targeted 60 Israeli occupation armored vehicles in the last 72 hours, adding that several Israeli soldiers were killed in confrontations.

At the same time the Israeli economy has suffered significant losses, estimated at $260 million daily, Galit Altstein wrote for Bloomberg News.

The Israeli occupation has been overspending on everything from weapons to paying the hundreds of thousands of reservists it called up. In addition, declining household spending and tourism are contributing to a decline in fiscal income.