Israeli army faces growing troop shortage as multi-front war stretches forces

ISTANBUL

Israel’s military is facing a deepening manpower crisis as it deploys forces across multiple fronts, with senior officials warning of severe troop shortages, mounting operational strain, and the risk of internal collapse.

Military spokesperson Effie Defrin estimates that the army is short of around 15,000 soldiers, including between 7,000 and 8,000 combat troops, as missions expand across several arenas.

“The army is suffering a shortage of about 15,000 soldiers, including 7,000 to 8,000 fighters,” he said on Thursday, adding that reinforcements are urgently needed in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and Syria.

The warning comes as Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir gave a stark assessment of the army’s combat readiness.

According to media reports, Zamir told Israel’s Security Cabinet that the military is raising “10 red flags,” cautioning that reserve forces “will not hold” under the current pressure.

“The army is heading toward internal collapse in light of the government’s failure to pass laws related to Haredi conscription, regulating reserve service and extending mandatory service,” he warned.

Zamir added that Israel’s military is operating simultaneously in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iran, and the West Bank, intensifying the burden on already stretched forces.

The army chief also warned that reliance on reserve units is eroding their effectiveness and could undermine readiness even for routine missions.

Multi-front war

At the center of the crisis is a long-running political dispute over the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim, many of whom have historically been exempted from military service.

The Haredi community, which accounts for roughly 13% of Israel’s population, largely opposes conscription on religious grounds, arguing that integration into secular society threatens its identity. Senior rabbis have repeatedly urged followers to refuse enlistment, even calling for the rejection of draft orders.

Opposition figures have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to formalize exemptions under pressure from religious parties, including Shas and United Torah Judaism, which have made the issue central to coalition negotiations.

Israel launched a war on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounding around 172,000, and devastating about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, while also continuing near-daily raids on Syrian territory, including ground incursions in the Quneitra and Daraa countryside in southern Syria.

It occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the last war between October 2013 and November 2014. It has also pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in the south following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2.

Additionally, Israel occupies Palestinian territories and parts of Syria, refusing to withdraw or allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as stipulated in UN resolutions.

And last month, Israel and the US launched a joint offensive on Iran, killing so far more than 1,340 people, including the then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.