Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has officially terminated a pilot program designed to integrate female soldiers into combat mobility units, citing physical and combat performance concerns.

The decision was made after a six-month training review concluded that while the female participants demonstrated strong professional skills, their physical fitness fell short of the demands required for this specific combat role.

The combat mobility units are responsible for transporting equipment and supplies to infantry forces operating behind enemy lines and evacuating wounded personnel, even under fire.

According to the Israeli military, the review’s findings claimed that female soldiers performed at “very high” levels in technical and operational areas comparable to their male counterparts but were not expected to meet the physical benchmarks of the unit.

Medical data cited in halting IOF female soldier training pilot

In addition to performance metrics, the IOF cited medical data suggesting potential health risks from continued intensive training.

The increased physical demands of the combat mobility role raised concerns about injury and long-term impact on the trainees’ well-being.

As a result, Lt. Gen. Zamir has ordered the immediate halt of the pilot program and announced plans to initiate a new pilot next year, focused on assessing the viability of female troops in alternative infantry roles.

The program had launched in November 2024 and included 34 female soldiers, of whom 23 remained at the six-month mark.

IOF maintain expansion of women in combat roles

Despite halting the combat mobility pilot, the Israeli occupation forces claim that over 90% of military roles are currently open to women.

According to the IOF, women now make up approximately 20% of all combat troops. Female soldiers from the discontinued mobility pilot will be reassigned to other combat or non-combat roles, based on individual preferences.

While advocates have pushed for broader inclusion, senior commanders remain cautious regarding physical thresholds and unit effectiveness.

Female Israeli soldiers refusing service thrown in jail

Historically, "Israel" has treated female occupation soldiers with notable disregard, often jailing those who refuse dangerous or degrading assignments, such as observation posts long neglected by commanders, highlighting a systemic pattern of punishment over protection, especially when soldiers raise valid security concerns or protest unsafe deployments.

In fact, in 2024, "Israel's" Ynet had said that several of the female conscripts who refused these dangerous assignments were taken into "custody or incarcerated." One of the detained female soldiers described the ongoing events as a "shame and disgrace." 

The conscript told her family, "Since October 7, I have not been able to function at all. Unfortunately, the army has not bothered to look at my documents for the past month and currently they are not listening to me at all and are not willing to let me meet a military officer and are simply throwing me in jail."

Last October 2024, female Israeli occupation soldiers serving as field observers said they are being ignored and left vulnerable by their superiors, as they are sent on Hezbollah tracking missions, continuing a longstanding pattern of institutional disregard by the IOF.

In addition, a growing number of female Israeli occupation soldiers continue refusing to join the heavily female-staffed border control observation unit, citing unsafe conditions and a lack of support.