Israeli soldiers are exhausted after nearly two years of fighting, and growing numbers are questioning the purpose of the Gaza operation. The military is calling up approximately 60,000 reservists, asking them to leave their jobs, schools, and families, but many say they have reached their limit.

Some commanders are resorting to unprecedented methods to fill their ranks. "I'm looking for fighters, mainly medics and snipers for a 70-day operation starting 9/11. If any reservists are interested, please message me privately," one commander recently wrote in a WhatsApp group for Israeli university students.

Israeli soldiers rest on a tank near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel in 1/2024. Photo: Reuters

Israeli soldiers rest on a tank near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel in 1/2024. Photo: Reuters

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintains that it is operationally ready and fully supports its reservists, whom it considers essential to the success of upcoming missions. The shortage has been building for months as Israeli discontent with the Gaza conflict grows.

Polls show that up to 80% of the Israeli public want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal to end the fighting and bring home the hostages held by Hamas. Thousands of veterans and reservists have signed petitions demanding a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

This represents a significant shift in sentiment. After Hamas's incursion into Israeli territory in 10/2023, which ignited the conflict, thousands of reservists volunteered, believing the operation against Hamas was necessary to save the country. But faith has eroded as the war drags on and they face repeated call-ups.

A sergeant in the 98th Paratrooper Division, who has fought for 400 days since the conflict began, said he believes people are dying needlessly and that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political gain. The sergeant recently received a call from the IDF asking if he would return for the Gaza City operation. Having served in Khan Younis at the start of the conflict, he believes Hamas cannot be entirely defeated because of its guerrilla tactics.

Most Jewish Israelis are drafted for compulsory military service at age 18. Israel maintains a relatively small standing army, supplementing it with reservists, especially during wartime. Most reservists serve a few weeks each year until age 40 or 45, depending on their role. But many reservists are frustrated that Netanyahu's government is pushing to exempt the country's ultra-Orthodox minority (who follow a strict religious lifestyle) from military service.

The Gaza conflict is the longest war Israel has fought. The prolonged fighting puts a strain on families as men leave their wives, children, and jobs for extended periods. The conflict has also taken a psychological toll.

Dalit Kislev Spektor said her husband, a reserve commander, is exhausted after 580 days of service. He returned home last month, traumatized after identifying the body of a comrade who had committed suicide. According to Spektor, many reservists in her husband's 150-person logistics unit have lost jobs, gotten divorced, or experienced financial hardship due to their long service. Now, more and more are expressing doubts about the purpose of the Gaza war. Spektor worries her husband will be called up again.

"I told him, 'This war is political because none of us believe in the leadership.' If it were up to me, I would tell him not to go," Spektor said.

Some reservists, especially those with children, say they have stopped fulfilling their obligations because their wives cannot cope anymore.

Israeli military commanders are trying to find solutions. A company commander busy calling up soldiers for the upcoming September service period said he has started sending out forms in advance so reservists can mark specific days they are unavailable. To ease the burden, soldiers will move to a more flexible model, serving one week on and one week off throughout the 90 days of their newly mandated service.

Israeli tanks enter the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank in February. Photo: AFP

Israeli tanks enter the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank in February. Photo: AFP

The extended service periods are demoralizing many reservists. Despite this, the IDF says it plans to extend the service of 20,000 reservists currently on duty, in addition to the 60,000 it is trying to call up.

An Israeli military official revealed that the forces participating in the upcoming Gaza City operation will primarily consist of conscripts, those drafted to complete three years of service in the armed forces. This time, reservists will mainly replace soldiers in Syria, Lebanon, and the West Bank, though some will still see action in Gaza.

According to sources familiar with the matter, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed the idea of taking full control of Gaza in a cabinet meeting last month, partly due to manpower concerns.

A 31-year-old combat engineer serving in southern Gaza said his service was recently extended to the end of November. This has greatly affected his morale and that of others in his unit. He has requested a transfer to a non-combat role outside Gaza, believing his unit commanders are putting soldiers in harm's way.

Despite growing fatigue and skepticism about the operation, some reservists say they still intend to return. According to Idit Shafran Gittleman, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, these individuals often continue their military service to support their friends in combat and because they retain some belief in the shared mission of defeating Hamas.

However, a small group of reservists say they have stopped returning to duty for ideological reasons, including "unethical conduct" they witnessed toward Palestinians.

One reservist said he decided not to return after learning that a commander had reported his forces accidentally shot three Gaza women, killing one. The commander requested permission to bring the two wounded women into a humanitarian zone but didn't proactively seek medical treatment for them, and his superiors agreed. The reservist said he was shocked by their indifference.

People search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Gaza City late last week. Photo: AFP

People search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Gaza City late last week. Photo: AFP

When asked for comment, the IDF said it would continue its efforts to identify and appropriately address unusual cases and deviant behavior among soldiers.

"The more questions there are about the legitimacy of the war, the more hesitant people are to return to service," Gittleman said. "We are very close to a red line."

Vu Hoang (Via WSJ, AFP, Reuters)