The Israel Defense Forces is “on the verge of collapse” due to acute personnel shortages, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has warned, according to local media. Opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of stalling on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Military service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, both men and women. However, members of the Haredi community have historically been exempt from conscription. While the Israeli Supreme Court revoked the exemption in June 2024, Netanyahu’s cabinet has so far delayed drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Parties within the ruling coalition representing the Haredi community have repeatedly threatened to withdraw support for Netanyahu should he introduce the measure.
Addressing the cabinet on Wednesday, Lieutenant General Zamir said he was “raising ten red flags for you before the IDF collapses,” as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
In addition to its ongoing campaign against Iran, the Israeli military is continuing its years-long operation against Hamas in Gaza. The IDF also launched an incursion into southern Lebanon in early March, targeting Hezbollah militants.
The IDF chief reportedly lamented that the government was failing to address the escalating personnel shortages, relying instead on reservists, some of whom have been serving since 2023.
Several opposition parties have criticized Netanyahu over his failure to address the issue and warned of a potential security crisis. Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz charged that the government was not providing the IDF with enough “soldiers to actually win.”
In a post on X on Thursday, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, a former prime minister and foreign minister, warned that the “IDF is stretched to the limit and beyond.”
“These reservists are exhausted and worn out and can no longer respond to our security challenges,” he wrote, accusing the government of encouraging “Haredi draft evasion.”