[News] 'Not 10 red flags, but 100': IOF reserve soldiers 'already worn out'

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-not-10-red-flags--but-100---iof-reserve-soldiers--already-w>
'Not 10 red flags, but 100': IOF reserve soldiers 'already worn out'
Al Mayadeen English
March 27, 2026
------------------------------

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warns that the Israeli army faces
collapse due to a growing personnel crisis.

   - [image: Mourners attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Staff Sgt. Ori
   Greenberg who was killed in combat in Lebanon, at Mount Herzl military
   cemetery in Jerusalem Thursday, March 26, 2026 (AP)]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2026/3/27/50472bba-0e22-42ad-a127-69eb10ea1776.jpg?width=1000>
   Israeli soldiers attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Staff Sgt. Ori
   Greenberg, who was killed in Lebanon, at Mount Herzl military cemetery in
   al-Quds, occupied Palestine, Thursday, March 26, 2026 (*AP*)

Senior officials in the Israeli military and security establishment criticized
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir for not taking
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/senior-official-warns-iof-faces-critical-personnel-shortage>
a stronger stance regarding the army’s situation during a recent Security
Cabinet discussion, Israeli media outlet *i24NEWS* reported on Friday.

A senior security official stated that “the battlefield has expanded, and
reserve forces are being depleted,” noting that these concerns have been
discussed for some time, adding, “This isn’t 10 warning signs, but 100. So
why is everyone surprised?”

Zamir warned during the Cabinet meeting on Thursday that the army could
collapse if the personnel crisis
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/irgc-launches-missiles--uavs-on-us-and-israeli-targets-in-ot>
is not addressed.

Commenting on the situation, Iran expert Benny Sabati from the "Institute
for National Security Studies" said, “The most dangerous thing I see, whether
regarding Iran or Hezbollah
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-strikes-iof-gatherings--merkavas-and-settlements-o>,
is that ultimately they see us speaking with two voices: sometimes we tell
the Chief of Staff to support the government, mobilize, and carry out
missions, placing more burden on a decreasing number of soldiers, and at
other times, we attack him,” adding that this approach “serves the enemy.”

Sabati also emphasized that “the government must choose its path
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-injuries-surge-to-5-772-as-iran--lebanon-attacks-esc>;
the person who appointed the Chief of Staff cannot now be the one attacking
him.” During wartime, Israeli media noted, “you do not want your enemy to
hear that you are fragile or collapsing.”
'Israel' stretches itself thin

In related developments, *Israel Hayom* military correspondent Lielach
Shoval reported that the Israeli army is facing a growing personnel
shortage while simultaneously being tasked with increasing operational
demands
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-hits-new-record-of-94-operations-against-israeli-o>.
She questioned, “Who do you think can carry this out? Who will do this? We
need more personnel.”

Shoval highlighted Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir’s warning of a shortfall of
15,000 soldiers, including 7,000 combat troops. She noted that Israeli
forces are currently deploying several military units into Lebanese
territory amid discussions of a so-called “defensive belt”, a softened term
for a security cordon, without clarity on how long troops will remain there.

While Israeli forces now control nine positions inside Syria
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iof-on-brink-of-collapse-in-face-of-manpower-shortage--zamir>,
troops are also stationed along the so-called “Yellow Line". Additionally,
a battalion initially designated for deployment to the north was redirected
to the West Bank, illustrating that “fighting is ongoing in the north, in
the south, and everywhere,” according to Shoval.
Readiness declining, fatigue evident

Meanwhile, *i24NEWS* military correspondent Yinon Yetah described Chief of
Staff Eyal Zamir’s warnings about the army’s personnel crisis as “an alarm
before the storm," calling for immediate caution and vigilance.

Yetah noted that over the past months of the war
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iran-launches-drone-strike-on-strategic-targets-at-haifa-por>,
Zamir has repeatedly requested additional reinforcements, “at least three
permanent brigades each time”, to various fronts, including the "Yellow
Line", the border with Jordan, the West Bank, and southern Syria, alongside
military maneuvers from south to north.

He added that four full military divisions, representing the entirety of
"Israel’s" standing army
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-targets-hakirya--atgms-haunt-israeli-merkavas-high>,
are currently deployed to the north, meaning that part of the force is not
undergoing training, readiness levels are declining, and fatigue is clearly
evident. The core problem, Yetah said, is that “the Israeli army
increasingly relies on reserve forces and personnel who are gradually being
exhausted, to the point of collapse.”

Yetah stressed that “there is a need to extend mandatory service, pass a
new conscription law, and recruit more combat troops,” noting that the
required legislation has not yet been enacted. He concluded, “We do not
have the capacity to secure all these fronts. Without additional manpower,
we are indeed heading toward a collapse.”

Under current law, soldiers are set to be discharged after 30 months of
service, and alternatives, such as retaining them in permanent service, are
costly and impractical, *Israel Hayom’s* Lielach Shoval reported.

Meanwhile, data from *Globes* journalist Naama Sikuler indicates that at
any moment in the past year, roughly 30,000 soldiers were serving in the
reserves
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/wave-82--otp-4--irgc-hits-us-military-linked-sites-across-re>.
Sikuler noted that “hundreds of thousands risk losing jobs, income, or ties
to the labor market,” stressing that the government must provide support
and incentives to maintain the reserve force.
Israeli opposition seizes opportunity to incite against government

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned during a Security Cabinet
discussion that the army could collapse if the personnel crisis is not
resolved, according to *Kan* political correspondent.

Leaks from Zamir’s warning have sparked a political shock within "Israel",
reopening debates over war management, fairness in sharing the military
burden, and the balance between coalition survival and national security
requirements.

The opposition quickly seized on the warning, framing it as a direct
indictment of the government. Opposition leader Yair Lapid held the
government responsible for ignoring the alert, warning that continued
exemptions and uneven distribution of service could lead to the army’s
collapse.

Political and military figures, including Benny Gantz, Gadi Eizenkot, Yair
Golan, and Naftali Bennett, agreed that the crisis is no longer merely
technical or administrative but has become a strategic issue tied to
military readiness and national security.
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