Zamir warns Netanyahu of serious troop shortage threatening army readiness

Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has sent a warning letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying there is a severe shortage of soldiers and an urgent need to extend compulsory military service for men to 36 months.

In the letter, which was also sent to the defence minister, Zamir painted a bleak picture of manpower levels in the Israeli army.

He said the shortage is not theoretical, but could cause real damage to the army’s readiness starting next year, due to ongoing security pressures.

Zamir also pointed to the lack of progress on legislation related to the exemption of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews from military service, alongside the urgent need to extend the length of compulsory service for conscripts.

He warned that delays in making legislative decisions are happening at what he described as a “security-sensitive” time, when “the army needs large numbers of soldiers to meet the demands of the current phase”.

Zamir added that the impact of the situation is expected to worsen soon, and “become even more serious starting from January 2027”.

He explicitly called for the immediate extension of compulsory military service for men to 36 months, stressing that the measure should also be applied retroactively.

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