Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian media: Israeli occupation forces storm the Old City in the center of Nablus, occupied West Bank
Local sources to Al Mayadeen: Sudanese army forces drones strike town of Kabkabiya, North Darfur.
Syrian Observatory: The plane is loaded with air defense systems and heavy weapons as part of US troop reinforcements to its bases in northeastern Syria
Syrian Observatory: US cargo plane lands with two military helicopters at Kharab al-Jir base in the countryside of Rmeilan, north of Hasakah
Miguel Díaz-Canel to Gustavo Petro: US seeks to reimpose the Monroe Doctrine in its relations with sovereign states in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, the military wing of the PFLP, says they handed over the body of an Israeli captive to the Israeli occupation forces in implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli drones are flying over the presidential palace in Baabda, Mount Lebanon, and over the skies of the capital, Beirut, and its suburbs.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes launch a series of raids on the al-Mahmoudiya and Jarmaq areas
Trump reiterates proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop at current front line, negotiate later
Reuters: Trump says no discussion regarding Ukraine ceding Donbas to Russia

Israeli military faces severe manpower crisis, hundreds quitting

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Israeli media
  • 19 Dec 2024 11:33
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Israel Hayom describes the crisis as “particularly severe” now, as the Israeli military plans to expand its ranks to meet the numerous additional responsibilities imposed by the war.

  • x
  • Israel Hayom
    An Israeli army vehicle transports soldiers into the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights on December 18, 2024 (AFP)

The Israeli military is facing a manpower crisis, Israeli media reported, revealing that hundreds of officers are quitting the army at the height of the war.

The Israeli military has yet to complete the year 2024, but it can already be said that since the second quarter of the year, particularly in the past six months, approximately 500 majors have voluntarily left the army, indicated the 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.

It added that the Israeli military leadership is surprised by the scale of this phenomenon, admitting they expected the wave of departures to increase after the war, not during it.

The report highlighted that the military began the war already grappling with an acute manpower shortage. In 2022, a record 613 majors left the army in a single year, alongside officers of lower ranks, particularly captains.

While the rate of departures slowed in 2023, particularly toward the end of the year due to the outbreak of the war, the trend has resurfaced, Israel Hayom noted.

The cost of war

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.

The report suggested that the fact many permanent service soldiers have barely seen their homes or families over the past year due to the ongoing war has left an impact.

Related News

Israeli media, officials acknowledge failure in war on Gaza

How EU funding continues to support Israeli military technology

It also pointed out that unlike reservists, who receive public support, grants, and significant financial assistance, permanent service soldiers do not receive the same recognition, public empathy, or benefits.

Unlike permanent service soldiers, reservists receive financial aid, payments for childcare services, and home assistance for their spouses, Israel Hayom said.

According to the newspaper, reservists also enjoy breaks from combat, while permanent service soldiers continue at the same grueling intensity, a situation unlikely to change soon given the large-scale demobilization of reservists.

The 'invisible' officers

Additionally, the report highlighted that senior military officers have long acknowledged the problem and are aware that permanent service soldiers feel “invisible” in the eyes of the public.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom said there is “intense debate" among permanent service soldiers, with many believing the war has only proven that they can serve as reservists without working full-time for relatively low pay.

The newspaper described the crisis as “particularly severe” now, as the Israeli military plans to expand its ranks to meet the numerous additional responsibilities imposed by the war.

A strategic threat

This is an appropriate time to acknowledge that the problem is not confined to captains and majors, the report highlighted, adding that there are also "a considerable number" of unit commanders, including combat officers, who are uncertain about their future paths.

In 2024, only five lieutenant colonels quit the military, and none from the combat units, but according to current trends, the numbers for 2025 could be “alarming”, even among combat units, Israeli Hayom indicated.

The newspaper cautioned that the problem is not limited to the Israeli military, asserting that the manpower crisis constitutes a strategic threat to "Israel" itself, explaining that “if competent permanent service personnel leave the army, there will be no one to fill their positions.”

“Wars are not won with tanks and planes but with the people who operate them,” it concluded.

Read more: Israeli forces estimate 100,000 occupation soldiers disabled by 2030

  • Israeli military
  • IOF
  • Israel
  • Israeli Army
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
Zionists Fundamentally Misread Iran Due To Their Own Echo Chambers

Zionists fundamentally misread Iran due to their own echo chambers

  • Analysis
  • 15 Oct 2025
How an Israeli-backed firm spied on US churches to push propaganda

How an Israeli-backed firm spied on US churches to push propaganda

  • Politics
  • 15 Oct 2025
From previous scenes of the Qassam Brigades targeting an Israeli D9 bulldozer with a Yassin 105 shell, east of Deir al-Balah. (Military Media of the Qassam Brigades)

US knew fatal Rafah blast cause was not Hamas op., says journalist

  • Politics
  • 20 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Inside Trump’s secret campaign to dismantle the ‘Deep State’: Reuters
Politics

Inside Trump’s secret campaign to dismantle the ‘Deep State’: Reuters

ap
Politics

Cuba's president denounces renewed US meddling in region, backs Petro

Bob Vylan: 'Who cares about the chant when Palestinians are killed?'
Arts and Culture

Bob Vylan: 'Who cares about the chant when Palestinians are killed?'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks before a lunch with President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Politics

Rubio leading US campaign to oust Maduro through force, sanctions: WSJ

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS