The IDF is currently short 12,000 regular soldiers, including 9,000 combat troops. If three key laws - covering recruitment, extending mandatory service to 36 months, and reservist duty - are not passed, the shortage could increase to 17,000 by the end of the year. Additionally, the IDF has stated it will be forced to exceed the previously set limit on reservist days.
For the past month and a half, the IDF has significantly reduced its efforts to arrest deserters, redirecting military police to combat-related assignments under the framework of Operation Roaring Lion, including reinforcing the Home Front Command and manning roadblocks on the northern border.
"Due to the overwhelming tasks assigned to military police, enforcement actions against conscripts who fail to report for service have declined," said a military source. The source added that the IDF has recently issued additional summonses to thousands of conscripts, particularly from the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) community.
In an effort to address the personnel crisis, the IDF's Human Resources Division has initiated a move to enlist combat soldiers who have completed their 32 months of mandatory service for short-term permanent service. This initiative is not a blanket enlistment of entire conscription cycles but rather a selective approach, targeting specific units such as combat engineers that require specialized training.
Reservist crisis amid ongoing conflict
Despite promises earlier this year to limit reservist duty to a maximum of 70 days in 2026, many reservists are already serving operational roles or being called up for "Lion's Roar" combat duties. As a result, the IDF has notified reserve units that they will exceed the originally set cap of annual reservist days. "Due to the ongoing Operation Roaring Lion, we will need to exceed the maximum reservist days allocated before the conflict," said a military source.
IDF responds to claims from government secretary
In a related development, a High Court hearing today focused on the government’s enforcement of haredi military recruitment without legislation. During the proceedings, Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs claimed that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir supported the proposed recruitment law.
Despite Fuchs' statement, IDF sources have made it clear that they deeply disapprove of the bill.
The IDF under Zamir has repeatedly made it clear to the cabinet that it believes that the vast majority of haredim should be drafted into the IDF, and it has worked overtime to develop a wide variety of new specialized service paths to allow them to serve in a haredi-friendly environment, IDF sources have said.
An IDF Spokesperson later clarified that Zamir referred to the need for legislation to address the IDF's urgent and immediate needs, as outlined over the past year. "The Chief of Staff has not expressed support for any specific recruitment law," the IDF clarified in a statement.
"[Zamir] warned in cabinet discussions that by January 2027, regular service is expected to drop to 30 months, exacerbating the personnel shortage. This reduction, alongside an increase in IDF missions, would place an unsustainable burden on reservists," the statement added.
Zamir has previously emphasized the need for comprehensive legislative action, including extending mandatory service to 36 months, updating the reservist law, and expanding the recruitment base to meet the IDF’s growing demands.
In a letter to Israeli decision-makers on the eve of Passover, Zamir warned of a growing manpower crisis and called on lawmakers to “fulfill your responsibility” by advancing urgent legislation to support both regular and reserve soldiers.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Tobias Siegal contributed to this report.