‘Israeli’ military nears breaking point without more manpower: Hebrew media
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Brigadier General Shai Taib, head of the ‘Israeli’ military Planning and Personnel Administration Division, delivered a warning to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
He stated that ‘Israel’s’ regular combat forces are approaching a critical threshold due to persistent manpower shortages exacerbated by prolonged assaults on multiple fronts.
Without urgent legislative action, the military risks severe operational strain in the coming years.
Taib emphasized the need for three key measures: an effective draft law, an extension of mandatory military service, and reforms to reserve service regulations.
He noted that the intensity of fighting has increased, placing sustained pressure on both regular and reserve units.
The combat manpower gap is widening, and current trends suggest this challenge will persist without intervention.
The warning follows the Knesset’s passage of the contentious Basic Law: Torah Study the previous day, which critics argue perpetuates exemptions for ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) yeshiva students, thereby limiting potential recruitment pools amid the crisis.
‘Israeli’ officials have highlighted that Haredi enlistment, while showing modest growth to around 2,800 annually, remains insufficient to address broader deficiencies.
The military’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has repeatedly raised alarms in recent months. In earlier sessions, he described the situation as raising “ten red flags,” warning that the ‘Israeli’ military could “collapse in on itself” without additional soldiers.
Estimates indicate a current shortfall of approximately 12,000 to 17,000 troops, including 6,000 to 8,000 in combat roles, with projections of 80,000 to 90,000 draft evaders soon.
Extending mandatory service from 30 to 36 months is viewed as essential to rebuilding force capacity, mitigating burnout, and providing operational flexibility.
Failure to implement this change could reduce the combat force by 10 to 15 percent—equivalent to roughly five battalions—upon the discharge of shortened-service cohorts beginning in January 2027.
The ‘Israeli’ military has established new reserve battalions and recalled former personnel, but these measures offer only partial relief.
