Zamir warns Knesset that military urgently needs more soldiers amid multifront war |
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir asserted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in a closed-door session on Sunday that the military needs more soldiers “immediately” amid ongoing multifront fighting, Hebrew media reported.
“I am not dealing with political or legislative processes — I am dealing with multifront warfare and defeating the enemy,” Zamir reportedly told lawmakers after appearing before the committee following pressure from its chairman, Boaz Bismuth.
“In order to continue to do that, the IDF needs more soldiers immediately,” he said.
According to the reports, Zamir urged lawmakers to advance legislation in three parts to help ensure the IDF has sufficient manpower.
The first, he suggested, was to lengthen mandatory military service for men to 36 months, after it was shortened to 30 months in August 2024.
“Shortening regular service… will cause an unreasonable burden on the reserves. There are urgent security needs,” Zamir said.
In January 2027, the first cohort enlisted under this shorter service will be relieved, further exacerbating manpower issues, unless the existing law is changed.
He then suggested the law on military reserves be amended to allow the army to enlist reservists for longer periods according to operational needs.
The third part focused on legislation regulating the increase in the number of conscriptions to the IDF,........