IDF warns of recruitment crisis: “Without a conscription law, the entire system will be disrupted” – i24NEWS

This Sunday, the IDF alerted the political authorities to a deep crisis in its personnel, in a context of protracted war and simultaneous engagement on seven fronts. According to data presented by the army, exhaustion affects both regular service soldiers and reservists, while thousands of wounded have been withdrawn from combat units since the start of the war.

The weight is falling more and more on the reservists. For 2026, after Operation Lion’s Roar, the army plans between 80 and 100 days of reserve per person, compared to an initial estimate of 55 days. Before the October 7 massacre, the norm was about 21 days every three years. This explosion in the number of days mobilized weighs heavily on the personal, family and professional lives of reservists.

The heart of the problem concerns the lack of soldiers. The IDF estimates that it is short around 12,000 soldiers in compulsory service, including 6,000 to 7,500 combatants. However, the extension of compulsory service to 36 months, as in the past, remains blocked in the Knesset, because it is linked to the politically explosive issue of the law on the conscription of the Orthodox.

The Army warns that in January 2027, a “dramatic drop” in regular troops is expected for two months, due to the planned move to 30-month service. In the army, this deadline is described as a “drop in heart rate” likely to disrupt the entire system if no legislation is adopted quickly.

The Orthodox question remains central. The IDF claims to have identified around 38,000 resisters, the vast majority from the haredi sector. At the same time, the army says it is ready, if an appropriate law is passed, to integrate around 8,160 Orthodox soldiers per year. Recruitment of haredi fighters has already reached a record this year, with around 3,000 enlisted.

Another major development: the sharp increase in the number of women fighters. There were 547 in 2012; there will now be 5,200 in 2025, or approximately 21% of all IDF fighters.

“If we do nothing now on the legislative level, the situation will worsen and disrupt the entire system,” warns a military source. According to her, regular soldiers and reservists “pay the price” of a political blockage which prevents the army from breathing, training and renewing its forces.