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Israeli army struggles with historic manpower shortage—analyst

(MENAFN) Israel’s army is experiencing “the worst manpower crisis in its history,” according to reserve general and military analyst Itzhak Brik. In an opinion piece published Sunday, Brik highlighted a severe shortage of personnel, as thousands of officers and non-commissioned officers have recently avoided service, either by rejecting call-ups or declining to renew contracts.

During two years of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the military reportedly lost 923 troops and suffered 6,399 wounded, while about 20,000 soldiers now struggle with post-traumatic stress, as reported by Israeli media citing army data. Under strict military censorship, the army has faced allegations of downplaying casualties to maintain morale.

Brik noted that many officers requested immediate discharge and younger recruits refused long-term contracts, leaving a significant gap in professional staff. “The sharp decline in manpower now undermines equipment maintenance and the operation of combat systems,” he wrote, warning that the army could soon “lose its ability to function entirely.”

He criticized past military leadership, saying “poor decisions” such as personnel cuts and shortened service terms—three years for men, two for women—created “huge gaps that cannot be repaired quickly.” Brik added that these gaps “pushed experienced professionals out of service while leaving unprepared personnel in sensitive roles incapable of dealing with the challenges of the current battlefield.”

The analyst also faulted the manpower division for working “without professionalism or responsibility” and ignoring core human resources issues. Outdated systems and fragmented databases have contributed to “information blindness,” Brik said, cautioning that the shortage could escalate into “complete paralysis” of the army.

Since October 2023, the conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 70,000 deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 171,000 injuries, leaving large portions of the territory devastated.

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