Thousands of “Israeli” reservists refuse to show up for duty

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) said it is currently dealing with a massive number of reservist soldiers who refused to comply with orders to be deployed for a new round of fighting.

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The IOF said there is a 15 to 25 percent decline in reservists refusing to report for fighting in Gaza and south Lebanon, which has affected the army’s operational decision.

According to the military, the reasons stems from war fatigue among soldiers who participated in battles for months at a time; and are now being called up again.

In addition, no funds have been allocated to support the reservists, with many losing their businesses and income.

The highly-contested draft bill that looks to exempt Haredi men –around 60,000– from military service also played a role in the no-shows; putting further strain on the IOF’s operations.