According to an Israeli military official warned of a warned of a surge in draft evasion, at a time when the army “needs another 12,000 soldiers.”
Hundreds of career Israeli soldiers, including senior officers, have submitted requests for early retirement, deepening the military’s manpower crisis as the army struggles with shortages during its genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
According to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, cited by the Anadolu news agency, representatives from the army’s Personnel Administration told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that about 600 career personnel, including senior officers and professional non-commissioned officers, have asked to effectively “resign” early.
“There were those whose retirement we postponed throughout the war (in Gaza) because of their necessity, simply because there are no replacements for them,” one military official told lawmakers, the report stated.
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Military officials said 85 percent of career soldiers retire “at the rank of lieutenant colonel or below.”
Bar Kalifa, an Israeli army official who addressed the committee, linked the growing crisis to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling striking down pension supplements for career officers.
He also pointed to “the broader issue of the IDF’s (army) manpower shortage amid the ongoing exemption from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews” at a time when troops “began maneuvering in Gaza City.”
The army “needs another 12,000 soldiers,” he added.
Haredi Protests
On August 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gradually reoccupy the Gaza Strip, beginning with Gaza City, before the plan was shelved after a ceasefire took effect on October 10, the report noted.
He added that Haredi leadership “is escalating its rhetoric, and their protests are draining resources from both the army and the police.”
Kalifa also warned of a surge in draft evasion.
Last night, dozens of Haredim in occupied Jerusalem surrounded the car of Israeli Knesset member Yoav Ben Tzur and smashed its windows, in protest of his efforts to advance legislation that would require yeshiva students to serve in the army. pic.twitter.com/IhucfKjUVd
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 16, 2025
“We now have more than 17,000 draft dodgers. Dodging the draft has become the norm,” he said. “There’s an army of lawyers fraudulently securing exemptions for draft dodgers.”
Draft Dodgers
Haredim, who make up about 13 percent of Israel’s population of 10 million, claim military service threatens their religious identity and community structure, as they dedicate their lives to Torah study. Prominent rabbis have urged followers to reject the draft and “tear up enlistment orders.”
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For decades, most ultra-Orthodox men avoided service through repeated deferments for religious study until reaching the exemption age, currently set at 26.
Opposition lawmakers accuse Netanyahu of pushing legislation to permanently exempt the Haredim to satisfy demands by the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, both of which left the coalition earlier this year but are expected to rejoin once such a law passes.
Over 69,000 Killed
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of over 69,000 Palestinians, with more than 170,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
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In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(PC, AA)
