By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The Israeli army is considering recruiting young Jews from other countries to fill a severe shortage of approximately 12,000 soldiers, according to Israeli Army Radio.

In response to a significant troop shortage, the Israeli army is exploring recruiting Jewish youth from abroad to fight in Gaza, Army Radio reported Monday.

The report stated that a deficit of 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers, coupled with the refusal of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews to enlist, is forcing the military to consider all options to replenish its ranks.

Haredi Jews, who make up about 13% of Israel’s 10 million residents, often refuse military service to dedicate their lives to Torah study, arguing that integration into secular society threatens their religious identity. This has created a political and social divide, with opposition parties and the public criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to pass a law exempting them from service.

According to unnamed senior military officials cited by Army Radio, the goal is to attract around 700 additional soldiers annually from Jewish communities abroad, primarily focusing on communities in the United States and France.

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Significant Strain on Forces

The Israeli army is facing a severe shortage of both soldiers and military equipment. Many reserve soldiers are reportedly suffering from psychological difficulties and depression due to the conditions of combat in the Gaza Strip.

Last July, the Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported that the army officially acknowledged its significant troop depletion for the first time, estimating a shortage of approximately 7,500 soldiers. The newspaper also noted that battalion commanders have complained about heavy workloads, with many expressing interest in retirement.

Palestinian factions in Gaza, most notably the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, regularly release visual and audio documentation of operations that have killed and wounded Israeli soldiers in the ground battles that began on October 27, 2023.

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According to figures from the beginning of this year, the Israeli army has lost nearly 1,000 officers and soldiers since October 7, 2023. In addition to the fatalities, thousands of soldiers have been seriously wounded, and thousands more are undergoing psychological treatment.

With U.S. support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023. This has resulted in the deaths of 61,944 Palestinians, with 155,886 injured—the majority of whom are children and women. There are also more than 9,000 missing persons, hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 258 people, including 110 children.

(Anadolu, PC, AJA)