Israel recalls 15,000 previously released reservists to IDF service amid manpower shortage during multi-front war

IDF lost hundreds of soldiers during Hamas invasion, continues losing dozens each month

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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the Israel Defense Forces to recall some 15,000 reservists who had been released from active service in the past years but are still under 35 years old to boost the army’s manpower reserves, the IDF said in a statement.

“In light of an assessment of the situation and the extent of the activities of the regular and reserve forces, and as part of a process planned by the IDF to increase the pool of servicemen, the defense minister ordered to call back into service those who were reservists and were exempted from service in the past due to the reduction of forces, and who are still at the mandatory age for service,” the IDF stated.

The IDF’s manpower issues have been a constant focus of discussions among military brass, political leadership and the public since the war against the Hamas terrorists began last October.

The IDF lost hundreds of soldiers on Oct. 7 during the Hamas invasion and has since continued to lose dozens of soldiers every month during the ground operations in the Gaza Strip, totaling losses of about 680.

In addition, about 4,000 soldiers have been wounded during the war since last October.

The increased operations in the south, the need to prepare for a showdown with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon on the northern border, as well as a marked rise in counter-terror operations in Judea and Samaria have left the army stretched to its limits.

The approximately 300,000 reservists who were called up after Oct. 7 were mostly released after several months of duty for economic reasons.

The Israeli military now plans to establish another reserve division and strengthen the recently established reserve division under the Home Front Command, according to Israeli media reports.

The overarching goal is to distribute and reduce the impact of the regular combat units’ duties, which involve rotating through different sectors every few months during peacetime.

Today, all of Israel's borders have become high-impact sectors that are constantly under threat. These include the Gaza Strip, the Gaza envelope, the borders with Lebanon and Syria, the area of Eilat and the Egyptian border, the long border with Jordan along the Jordan Valley and the Arava Desert, as well as Judea and Samaria.

Yuli Edelstein, chairman of Israel's Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, announced a bill last month that would permit the IDF to recall reservists previously exempted from service, particularly those exempted for reasons other than health or age.

In recent months, many of them have turned to the army and asked to be recalled into active service.

Tens of thousands of soldiers were released from service across the IDF in recent years, many of whom belonged to combat units that were either downsized or disbanded as part of a strategy to reduce the size of the IDF and enhance its technological advancements.