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
Yemeni Armed Forces: Drone operations successfully hit their targets.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the Hadera power station, al-Lydd Airport in Yafa, and Ashdod Port in occupied Palestine with three drones.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the Israeli enemy's General Staff building in occupied Yafa with a Samad 4 drone.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the MSC ABY vessel for violating the naval embargo.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the Israeli enemy's General Staff headquarters, al-Lydd Airport, the Hadera power station, and the Ashdod port.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Prisoners released from Israeli prisons arrive at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip.
Larijani: The enemy is demanding that we give up our missile capabilities.
Larijani: By raising issues such as missiles, the Americans do not want negotiations to take place.
Secretary of Iran's National Security Council Ali Larijani: We consider rational negotiation on the nuclear issue to be the path to a solution and settlement.
Gaza Health Ministry: 63,633 people have been martyred by Israeli aggression and 160,914 others have been wounded since October 7, 2023.

Morale collapses as 'Israel' drags soldiers into endless war: WSJ

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Wall Street Journal
  • Today 12:02
  • 2 Shares
5 Min Read

Facing mass refusals and collapsing morale, Israeli occupation forces scramble to sustain their assault on Gaza amid growing internal resistance and global outrage.

Listen
  • x
  • Morale collapses as 'Israel' drags soldiers into endless war: WSJ
    Israeli occupation soldiers in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025 (AP)

As the Israeli occupation prepares for a new offensive on Gaza City, military commanders are struggling to gather enough reservists to carry out the mission. After nearly two years of relentless fighting across multiple fronts, fatigue has set in, and growing numbers of troops are questioning the purpose and legitimacy of the war.

The military is now attempting to pull approximately 60,000 reservists from civilian life, including from jobs, universities, and families. According to over 30 officers and soldiers interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, morale is deteriorating rapidly, with many warning that the force is approaching a breaking point.

Some commanders have resorted to unusual tactics to fill the ranks. One message posted in a WhatsApp group for university students read: “I’m looking for combat soldiers, mainly medics and snipers, for an operation of 70 days starting on September 11. If there are reservists who are interested, please message me privately.”

While the military maintains that it is operationally ready, it also stresses its ongoing support for reservists, who remain critical to mission success.

 Mounting internal schism

The growing shortage of reservists reflects a deeper crisis within "Israel’s" military establishment, revealing internal fractures and widespread disillusionment with the war on Gaza.

According to recent polls, up to 80% of Israelis support a negotiated deal to end the war and secure the release of captives. Thousands of former soldiers and reservists have signed petitions demanding an immediate halt to the war.

Since October 7, 2023, reservist sentiment has shifted dramatically. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, repeated call-ups and prolonged military campaigns have eroded morale across the ranks. One reservist, a master sergeant in the 98th Commando Division with over 400 days of deployment across Gaza and Lebanon, told the outlet: “People are dying for nothing, and Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political survival.”

The same soldier was recently called up again for the occupation of Gaza City. Having previously participated in the invasion of Khan Younis, he admitted that Hamas’ guerrilla tactics render total eradication impossible. The occupation forces depend heavily on reservists to reinforce their small standing army, which primarily comprises mandatory-service conscripts. Discontent is further inflamed by proposed exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox population, sparking resentment among those being repeatedly deployed.

The ongoing war has inflicted deep psychological and social damage on the occupiers' military structure. According to The Wall Street Journal, families of reservists are being pushed to the edge. Dalit Kislev Spektor, wife of a reservist officer, revealed how her husband returned home in a state of trauma after identifying a fellow soldier who had taken his own life.

Related News

Trump-linked Gaza scheme decried as blueprint for ethnic cleansing

Israeli doctors block Ayalon highway, call for a captive exchange

“I told him, ‘The war is political because none of us believes in our leadership. If it were up to me, I’d ask you not to go.’”

In numerous cases, reservists have begun refusing to return to duty.

This internal breakdown comes as the Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out daily massacres in Gaza, part of what many now recognize as a systematic genocide. The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) recently passed a formal resolution declaring that "Israel's" military campaign in Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide under international law.

The IAGS resolution cites multiple acts that satisfy the criteria for genocide, including:

  • Deliberate attacks on civilians, including children
  • Starvation as a weapon of war
  • Blocking humanitarian aid, water, and fuel
  • Sexual and reproductive violence
  • Mass forced displacement

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, as of Monday, the total number of Palestinians martyred in the ongoing aggression has reached 63,557, with more than 160,660 injured since the start of the war on October 7, 2023. Between March 18, 2025, and today alone, 11,426 people have been killed and 48,619 wounded, as "Israel" continues its indiscriminate bombardment and blockade of the besieged Strip.

Desperate measures to retain reservists

To mitigate burnout, commanders are introducing measures to ease the burden. One unit distributed forms allowing reservists to indicate when they were unavailable. The military is also using rotating schedules, one week on, one week off,  for the 90-day deployment period.

Despite these steps, frustration persists, especially with the decision to extend the service of 20,000 active-duty reservists, on top of the 60,000 already called up.

The Gaza City offensive will largely rely on mandatory-service soldiers, while reservists will be reassigned to operations in Syria, Lebanon, and the occupied West Bank. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has reportedly opposed a full reoccupation of Gaza, citing serious manpower constraints.

Moral objections and refusals

A small but growing number of reservists have stopped serving for moral or ideological reasons. One recounted witnessing a commander order the disposal of wounded Gazan women in a humanitarian zone after one had been accidentally killed.

“I couldn’t serve anymore,” he said.

The military claimed it investigates "atypical cases" through internal channels.

“The more question marks there are around the justification of the fighting, the more people will be hesitant to show up,” Gittleman warned. “We are very close to the red line.”

  • Gaza Strip
  • Occupied Palestine
  • war on Gaza
  • Palestine
  • Israeli reservists
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation forces
  • Gaza genocide
  • Israeli occupation
  • Gaza
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Fierce resistance ambushes target IOF in Gaza Strip

Fierce resistance ambushes target IOF in al-Zaytoun, Gaza City

  • Politics
  • 30 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025
A scene showing an al-Qassam Brigades fighter during an ambush on July 7, 2025, in a video released by the al-Qassam Brigades on August 26, 2025 (al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

Al-Qassam reveals Beit Hanoun ambush targeting Israeli forces

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025
A Supporter of Hezbollah holds up a portrait of Hezbollah late leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah with Arabic words reading: "We will stay with you," during a rally marking Al-Quds day, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 5, 2024 (AP)

Illusioned are those who think Hezbollah is weakened: Israeli colonel

  • Politics
  • 29 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Al Mayadeen English
Politics

Hezbollah’s weapons and the lessons of Syria, PLO, and Algeria

Baghaei Guardian
Europe

Baghaei: Europe backed 'Israel’s' strikes on Iranian nuclear sites

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Maduro: US naval deployment off Venezuela 'greatest threat in century'

AFP
Politics

SCO leaders adopt Tianjin Declaration, signal push for multipolarity

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