• Israeli combat reservists take position during training at the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights Wednesday, on May 8, 2024 (AP)

The Israeli occupation military has warned of an imminent reservist crisis, as reserve troops refuse to serve following the resumption of the war in Gaza, Israeli media reported.

"Israel" needs tens of thousands of reservists to continue its war on Gaza, however, the Israeli military is facing difficulty recruiting reservists who are refusing to serve in the enclave, citing the Israeli government's actions, according to military correspondent for Haaretz, Yaniv Kubovich, who noted that the Israeli army noticed a decline in morale among reserve troops.

In the past two weeks, many reservists have informed their commanders that they will refuse to report for duty if called upon to fight again in response to the government's recent actions, including the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, the removal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, and changes to the Judicial Selection Committee.

Reservists have also voiced concerns about the government's disregard for Supreme Court rulings, according to Kubovich, noting that military officials believe the issue is far more widespread than the public realizes. This is partly because many reservists choose not to openly discuss their decision to refuse service and wait until they receive their call-up orders before acting on it, the correspondent explained.

During the past few weeks, a number of reservists announced that they would not comply with their deployment orders, citing what they called an "authoritarian coup".

In recent discussions with the military's top leadership, senior reserve officers expressed concern over a growing trend, warning of a 50% decline in enlistment for reserve service, while a high-ranking reserve officer told Haaretz that brigade and battalion commanders are already facing dozens of cases where reservists have declared they will not report for duty.

The high-ranking officer explained that the first main reason behind this is the breach of the captive exchange deal, while the second main reason was the law exempting Haredi jews from serving in the Israeli military and the "authoritarian coup".

Officers and commanders holding key positions within the reserve combat formation, as well as in intelligence and fire control headquarters, are among the reservists who announced their decision to stop volunteering, according to the Israeli newspaper.

The growing trend of "gray refusal" among reserve soldiers is raising concerns within the Israeli military, as many cite health, economic, or family reasons for their reluctance to serve, while their true motivations often stem from ethical or political objections.

Military officials acknowledge that dismissing hundreds of reservists is not a practical solution, nor is it reasonable to impose financial penalties or imprisonment after they have already put their lives on hold for over a year and a half of continuous combat.

The Israeli military also expects that in the coming days and weeks, as the fighting in Gaza intensifies and the need for a large-scale reserve mobilization grows, more messages refusing to report for duty will reach unit commanders. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli military is also closely monitoring, with concern, the efforts of some parents of conscripted soldiers to prevent their children from continuing their combat service due to government policies. "Many parents are pushing their children to transfer to non-combatant positions such as office work," Haaretz cited a high-ranking military official familiar with the topic as saying.