Israeli military faces worst manpower crisis in its history, general warns

The Israeli military is confronting what a senior reserve general has characterized as the most severe personnel crisis in the nation's history. Reserve General and military analyst Itzhak Brik issued a stark warning Sunday about critical shortages affecting the armed forces' operational capabilities, noting that thousands of officers and non-commissioned officers have recently avoided military service either by refusing call-ups or declining to renew their service contracts.

Personnel Losses and Systemic Challenges

According to Brik's assessment published in the Maariv daily, the manpower division has operated for years "without professionalism or responsibility," creating systemic vulnerabilities now affecting military readiness. The situation has been exacerbated by two years of conflict in Gaza that have resulted in significant casualties, with Israeli media reporting 923 military fatalities, 6,399 wounded personnel, and approximately 20,000 soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress according to official army data.

Structural Deficiencies and Operational Impact

Brik attributed the crisis to what he described as "poor decisions" by successive military chiefs of staff, including substantial personnel reductions and shortened service terms that created "huge gaps that cannot be repaired quickly." These structural deficiencies have pushed experienced professionals out of service while leaving inadequately prepared personnel in sensitive roles, with the sharp decline in manpower now undermining equipment maintenance and combat system operations throughout the military.

Warning of Potential Paralysis

The military analyst cautioned that the manpower crisis could escalate into "complete paralysis" of the Israeli army, potentially resulting in the loss of its ability to function entirely. Brik further noted that the military suffers from "information blindness" due to outdated systems and fragmented databases, compounding the personnel challenges. These internal difficulties emerge as the Israeli military continues operations in Gaza that have resulted in over 70,000 Palestinian fatalities and nearly 171,000 injuries since October 2023.