JERUSALEM: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are grappling with troop shortages as casualties rise in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, now entering its ninth month.
The recruitment of additional forces is being hampered by increasing public opposition and political tensions, including a public rift between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his defense minister.
This personnel crisis coincides with a surge in hostilities. On Monday, an explosion in Rafah claimed the lives of eight IDF soldiers, marking the deadliest single incident in the past six months, a figure that has significantly impacted Israeli public sentiment.
Just a week prior, Hamas claimed responsibility for killing an unspecified number of Israeli soldiers with a booby-trapped house in the same region.
IDF’s chief, Herzi Halevi, has openly expressed concerns about the dwindling troop numbers, suggesting it could hinder Israel’s capability to maintain the intensity of its operations against Hamas.
The army’s challenges are compounded by internal political strife. Reports indicate significant friction between the military leadership and Netanyahu, particularly over the military’s proposal to implement daily tactical pauses in fighting to allow for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Domestically, the Israeli public is increasingly dismayed by the Palestinian casualties resulting from the conflict, leading to protests in Jerusalem against the government’s strategy in Gaza.
“The IDF is totally exhausted after more than eight months of conflict,” noted Ahron Bregman, a political scientist at King’s College London. He highlighted the urgent need for the military to regroup, a sentiment echoed by the defense sector.
The conflict’s duration and intensity have stretched the IDF’s capabilities. “We are observing sooner-than-expected rotations of brigades and battalions,” stated Steven Wagner, a historian at Brunel University London, indicating a need for more frequent rest periods for troops.
Experts argue that the IDF was unprepared for the scale of the conflict initiated on October 7. Over the past two decades, the Israeli military has significantly downsized, disbanding six divisions in anticipation of a shift away from large-scale regional wars. According to Bregman, the IDF currently lacks approximately two divisions, or 10,000 soldiers, necessary for sustained operations.
