Israeli army chief warns reserve forces could 'collapse' amid manpower crisis

Israeli army chief warns reserve forces could 'collapse' amid manpower crisis Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Tue, 05/12/2026 - 09:53 Opposition figures have intensified criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over its failure to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews This handout picture released by the Israeli army on 18 May 2024 shows Israeli soldiers during military operations in the Gaza Strip (Israeli army/AFP) Off Israel 's military chief has warned lawmakers that the army's reserve forces could face collapse within months unless the government urgently passes legislation to expand conscription and extend military service, Israeli media reported. In a classified meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee on Monday, Israeli army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, reportedly urged legislators to move quickly on laws extending mandatory military service to 36 months, increasing recruitment and revising reserve duty regulations. "In January 2027, due to the reduction of mandatory service to 30 months, the IDF [Israeli army] will lose thousands more combat soldiers," Zamir told the committee.