Israels military faces criticism over alleged exhaustion and performance issues

Israel’s Chief of Staff Warns of Army Collapse

Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief of staff, has issued a warning to the country’s cabinet that the army is on the brink of collapse unless urgent measures are taken. According to a report by Channel 13, Zamir stated that he was raising “10 red flags” and urged the government to pass long-delayed legislation to alleviate the strain on the military.

The Israeli army has been involved in various operations in recent years, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, and incursions into Lebanon and Syria. The army’s manpower is comprised mainly of reservists, with a standing force of 100,000 soldiers.

In October 2023, Israel mobilized 300,000 reservists to participate in the bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, which was followed by additional deployments of 100,000 reserve soldiers and 20,000 Home Front Command reservists. The military has also been involved in operations in Lebanon and Syria.

Central Command chief Major General Avi Bluth told ministers that government policies in the occupied West Bank are placing increasing pressure on the military’s manpower. Zamir emphasized the need for a conscription law, a reserve duty law, and a law to extend mandatory service to address the strain on the army.

The Israeli Prime Minister has since announced plans to extend mandatory military service. However, this is not the first time concerns have been raised about the military’s ability to cope with the pressure of repeated operations. The situation has worsened since the start of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023.

Prior to the war on Gaza, Israel’s standing army numbered around 100,000 soldiers. The majority of troops serving are reservists rather than career soldiers. The current era of regional aggression has sapped the military’s reserves, with thousands of reserve soldiers deployed to various operations.

Source: Al Jazeera