AhlulBayt News Agency: A severe personnel crisis is unfolding within the Israeli military as hundreds of career soldiers, including senior officers, have formally requested early retirement.
Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the wave of resignations comes amid rising draft evasion, political instability, and the regime’s prolonged presence in Gaza, which has overstretched the army’s capacity.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, officials from the military’s Personnel Administration told the Knesset’s relevant committee that around 600 career soldiers and officers had submitted requests for early resignation.
Many of those seeking retirement hold “critical roles” that the military has struggled to fill since October 2023, when the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza.
“There were cases where we delayed retirements during the war simply because replacements were unavailable,” a military official told lawmakers, highlighting the urgency of the manpower shortage.
Approximately 85 percent of career soldiers retire at the rank of lieutenant colonel or below, which analysts warn represents a significant loss of mid-level operational command.
Bar Kalifa, a senior personnel officer, linked the worsening crisis to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down pension supplements for career officers, describing it as a major blow to morale.
The ruling coincided with the war’s heavy financial burden, costing billions of shekels, despite unprecedented U.S. military support that has supplied nearly two-thirds of the army’s equipment.
Reports also surfaced amid loud protests by settlers, who accuse Tel Aviv of neglecting the military’s interests while pursuing the war of genocide at their expense.
Kalifa further revealed that the military requires an additional 12,000 personnel to meet operational needs, even as thousands continue to evade service.
“We now have more than 17,000 draft dodgers,” he said. “Dodging the draft has become the norm,” he added, noting that “an army of lawyers” is securing fraudulent exemptions.
The crisis is compounded by the long-standing exemption of ultra-Orthodox men, known as Haredim, whose leaders continue to mobilize opposition to conscription.
Haredi rabbis have urged their followers to reject enlistment orders outright, fueling protests that have strained both the military and police.
Opposition members of the Knesset accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing legislation to permanently exempt the Haredim in exchange for political loyalty from ultra-Orthodox parties.
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