Over a year into the Gaza war, the Israeli army’s reservists are facing exhaustion and difficulties in recruitment, especially as a new front opens in Lebanon.
Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, around 300,000 reservists have been mobilized, including 18 percent who are men over 40 and would normally be exempt. Military service is mandatory for Israeli men and women starting at age 18, though there are several exemptions.
Israel is engaged in a multi-front conflict against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since launching a ground offensive in Gaza on October 27 last year, the military has lost 367 soldiers, with 37 fatalities in Lebanon since operations began there on September 30.
Reservists have seen extended duty periods, with some reporting they cannot return to their normal lives for up to six months. “We’re drowning,” said reservist Ariel Seri-Levy in a widely shared social media post. He noted he had been called up four times since the attack and criticized those who want Israel to maintain its presence in Lebanon and Gaza. “We have to end this war because we are out of soldiers,” he said, expressing that the sacrifices have become too significant.
Another reservist, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned that he not only faces fatigue and moral exhaustion but also lost his job due to the war. Many freelancers have been forced to close their businesses, despite government guarantees of a minimum income for reservists. “The collective is still above the individual, but the cost is too great for my family,” he said, revealing he spent nearly six months in Gaza this year.
The ongoing conflict has intensified discussions about drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are largely exempt from military service. Ultra-Orthodox individuals make up about 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population, with approximately 66,000 of conscription age exempted due to a long-standing rule that allows them to avoid service if they focus on studying religious texts.
In June, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that yeshiva students must be drafted, stating the government could not maintain the exemption without a proper legal framework. Ultra-Orthodox political parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition are advocating for such a framework ahead of the budget vote at year’s end.
Aryeh Deri, leader of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas, expressed hope for a resolution regarding the draft for seminary students. Additionally, about 2,000 wives of reservists from the religious Zionist movement signed a letter urging for “lighter burdens” for those in service. “There is no contradiction between Torah study and military service; both go hand in hand,” stated Tehila Elitzur, an academic and mother of a reservist.
In recent weeks, six men who volunteered for service despite being eligible for exemptions were killed, including a father of ten. Rabbi David Zenou, 52, who fought for 250 days this year, including in Lebanon, emphasized his commitment: “It’s an honour to serve my country, and I will continue to do it for as long as I can. Above all, let’s not forget that this is war, and we are short on soldiers,” he told AFP.
