The IDF Claims It May ‘Collapse in on Itself’ Due to Soldier Shortage
Israel’s military chief wants to expand conscription.
by Joshua Carroll
27 March 2026
The Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) chief of staff has warned the military is “going to collapse in on itself” unless the country forces more people to enlist.
Eyal Zamir made the claim during a cabinet security meeting, Israel’s Channel 13 reported on Thursday.
“Right now, the IDF needs a conscription law, a reserve duty law, and a law to extend mandatory service,” the channel quoted him as saying. “Before long, the IDF will not be ready for its routine missions and the reserve system will not last.”
Israel has compulsory military service for a majority of citizens, but Haredi – or ultra-Orthodox – Jews are among those who are exempt. A draft bill aimed at ending this exemption has ignited widespread controversy.
After two and a half years of carrying out a genocide in Gaza, large numbers of IDF troops are reportedly exhausted amid reports of thousands suffering from severe PTSD.
The IDF is now fighting on multiple fronts. Shortly after launching the illegal and unprovoked war on Iran in late February, it also illegally invaded Lebanon to seize more land there. Hezbollah forces have reportedly mounted fierce resistance – and say they have destroyed ten invading tanks in two ambushes.
Oxfam said earlier this week that Israel is attacking water infrastructure in Lebanon, repeating a genocidal tactic it used in Gaza.
Joshua Carroll is a writer and journalist.