Israeli forces face manpower crisis as 2025 dubbed 'year of war'
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The Israeli occupation forces admit to facing a manpower crisis following the wars on Lebanon and Gaza, with thousands of soldiers needed.
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Israeli soldiers check a Palestinian man's ID at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Beit Lahm on his way to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied al-Quds, Friday, March 7, 2025 (AP)
The Israeli occupation forces have designated 2025 as a year of war, but growing concerns over reserve soldier burnout and recruitment shortfalls are raising alarms about the IOF's readiness.
In 2024, Israeli reservists served an average of 136 days per year, with many soldiers exceeding 300 days of service. Commanders faced even greater demands, averaging 168 days of duty annually.
The military currently faces a shortage of approximately 10,000 soldiers. Efforts to draft 10,000 ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men yielded minimal results, with only 177 recruits responding to enlistment orders.
With the Israeli occupation forces preparing to call up reservists for 70 to 80 days of service in the coming months, concerns are mounting over the strain this will place on soldiers and their families.
The extended service requirements are expected to impact households, businesses, and the Israeli economy, especially without additional compensation for reservists.
Observers warn that if the government fails to address these issues, frustration among reservists could boil over, leading to a crisis in military readiness and public confidence.
Hundreds leave ranks of IOF
Back in December, media reports said Israeli occupation forces are facing a manpower crisis, revealing that hundreds of officers are quitting the army at the height of the war.
During the last six months of the war, approximately 500 majors have voluntarily left the army, as indicated by Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.
The newspaper considered that this is a statistic that "should shake Israel," especially at a time when security challenges are mounting and the military is planning to establish additional combat frameworks.
In a related context, the Israeli newspaper mentioned that projections for 2025 “are not encouraging,” explaining that the reasons behind the crisis among permanent service soldiers are numerous and not solely tied to the unbearable burden imposed by the war.
In 2024, only five lieutenant colonels quit the military, and none were from the combat units, but according to current trends, the numbers for 2025 could be “alarming”, even among combat units, Israeli Hayom indicated.
'Soldiers barely see home'
The report suggested that the fact that many permanent service soldiers have barely seen their homes or families over the past year due to the ongoing war has left an impact.
