TPC Staff
The Palestine Chronicle / December 21, 2024
Israel Hayom reported that the “crisis compounds an existing personnel shortage.”
Approximately 500 officers holding the rank of major resigned from the Israeli army since mid-2024 causing a “critical personnel crisis,” an Israeli newspaper has revealed.
“This exodus,” reported Israel Hayom this week, “has caught military leadership off guard and threatens force readiness.”
The report said the “crisis compounds an existing personnel shortage” noting that in 2022, “a record 613 majors left career service,” slowing down after the military onslaught on Gaza began in October 2023. Current trends suggest “even higher resignation rates” in 2025.
The paper noted that as the Israeli army plans significant expansion, “additional increases are needed to establish new combat units,” but recruitment has been challenging.
Not only are junior officers leaving, but unit commanders are also “increasingly” questioning their service with Indicators suggesting that “all ranks” are affected, the paper said.
‘Losing experienced leaders’
A senior officer told the paper that the situation “isn’t just about numbers” adding that wars “aren’t won with equipment alone,” but that “they’re won by the quality of personnel operating that equipment.”
“We’re at risk of losing our most experienced leaders exactly when we need them most,” the officer was quoted as saying.
Combat stress and lack of recognition are among the “multiple factors” cited as reasons for the unprecedented “voluntary” departure from the army, reported Israel Hayom.
Complaints
Reservists receive various perks, including substantial bonuses and family support service, the report added. Career officers, however, “receive standard salaries and minimal additional benefits.”
An army commander told the paper that his son’s classmates from reservist families “received school recognition and support, while he was excluded because I’m a career soldier.” He reportedly added: “How should he process this while I’m fighting in Gaza?”
A Middle East Monitor report on the revelation by Israel Hayom cites an officer who left service as saying: “The immense pressures faced by officers during the war are unbearable.”
He added, “I felt as if a bulldozer was crushing my body over the past year.”
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Hundreds of officers resigned from Israel army in 2024
Middle East Monitor / December 20, 2024
Hundreds of officers resigned from the Israeli occupation army in 2024, an Israeli newspaper revealed yesterday.
The resignations were attributed to several reasons, including the burdens of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and economic challenges.
According to Israel Hayom, as translated by Safa news site, 500 officers of the rank of lieutenant colonel concluded their service this year.
The report described the number as shocking, undermining the army’s plans to increase the number of officers and soldiers, especially amidst the continued war on Gaza.
The newspaper attributed the wave of resignations to several factors, including the continuation of the war for the second consecutive year.
One of the officers who left service said: “The immense pressures faced by officers during the war are unbearable.”
He added, “I felt as if a bulldozer was crushing my body over the past year.”
The article further indicated that the military is expected to struggle with personnel numbers in more in 2025.
The newspaper warned: “The manpower crisis in the military can be classified as a strategic threat to the entire State of Israel. If the finest permanent service officers leave the army, there will be no adequate replacements. As a result, less experienced officers will take their place, potentially leading to generational losses. The army’s success is not based on its tanks or planes but on those who operate them.”
