أزمة تجنيد تثير مخاوف جيش الاحتلال

In the backdrop of the war in Gaza, the Israeli occupation army is facing a recruitment crisis; therefore, it has resorted to studying the expansion of the decision to extend mandatory military service to include new combat units.

Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing a military report, that "the Israeli army is considering extending mandatory service for an additional year to other combat units, following the previous decision to apply the extension to all reconnaissance battalions in the infantry brigades."

Although the army denies the existence of a comprehensive and final decision, the extension of service has already begun in elite units, specifically in the "Yahalom" unit specialized in combat engineering, and it is likely to be generalized soon to other units such as "Maglan," "Duvdevan," and "Egoz," in addition to artillery units.

The plan stipulates raising the mandatory service period from 32 months to 44 months, which is from about 3 years to nearly 4 years, representing a radical change in the equation of mandatory service, which has always sparked controversy within Israel, especially when compared to the exemptions granted to the Haredi community.

This trend coincides with government efforts in the Knesset to pass a bill exempting tens of thousands of students from religious schools (Haredim) from conscription.

The report revealed concerns within the security establishment about a collapse in the human resources system, following an increase in the permanent soldiers' attrition and a shortage of those willing to stay, prompting the army leadership to call on the first sergeants and their deputies in the infantry brigades to remain in service and postpone their discharge. According to military estimates, thousands of soldiers will soon receive official notifications delaying their discharge for an additional year.

According to Channel 12's report, officers from the "Nahal" brigade conveyed shocking scenes to the head of the Southern Command during his visit to the troops, describing the pressure that soldiers are experiencing. One officer stated that "soldiers are literally fighting over every spot inside the armored personnel carrier." This reflects the level of exhaustion that soldiers have been experiencing for nearly two years of continuous fighting in Gaza.

A number of soldiers sent an angry protest message to the head of the army's Human Resources Directorate, stating: "You have found in our sons fools to burden them with endless burdens." They added that their sons have been subjected to traumatic experiences that will accompany them for the rest of their lives, amid the absence of any real vision to end the suffering.

With the negotiations stalled and the war continuing without a clear resolution, voices within the occupation army have risen calling for an end to the war in order to restore human and operational balance.

According to military sources, there is growing concern that this crisis could lead to a deterioration in the army's efficiency in the long term, as the numbers of reserve and regular soldiers are decreasing, while the field missions required in Gaza and other areas are increasing.