The Israeli army is confronting a historic personnel breakdown, marked by mass departures, rising casualties and warnings from senior figures about long-term military paralysis.
Israeli reserve general and military analyst Itzhak Brik said the military is facing what he called “the worst manpower crisis in its history.”
He wrote in Maariv that thousands of officers and non-commissioned officers have avoided service in recent months, either refusing call-ups or declining to renew contracts. He also noted a sharp decline in younger recruits willing to sign long-term service agreements.
According to Israeli media citing army data, the two-year war in Gaza has cost the military 923 troops, left 6,399 wounded, and resulted in roughly 20,000 soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress.
Heavy military censorship has fuelled accusations that the army is withholding higher loss totals to preserve morale. Brik added that many officers have requested immediate discharge, and younger recruits refused to sign long-term contracts, which has deepened shortages across sensitive units.
He argued that the lack of personnel now weakens equipment maintenance and disrupts the operation of key combat systems. He warned that if the trend continues, the army risks “losing its ability to function entirely.”
Brik blamed recent chiefs of staff for what he described as years of “poor decisions” tied to deep personnel cuts and shorter service terms.
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He wrote that the current structure creates “huge gaps that cannot be repaired quickly.” These gaps have pushed experienced professionals out while leaving unprepared personnel in roles he said are too sensitive for their level of training.
He argued that these choices have undermined the army’s ability to manage the challenges of the Gaza war. The loss of experienced staff, he said, has left units unable to sustain long deployments or maintain the readiness expected of them.
He also warned that the manpower division has operated “without professionalism or responsibility” and failed to confront core problems in human resources and long term planning.
Brik said the military suffers from “information blindness” rooted in outdated systems and fragmented databases. He argued that these systems cannot generate reliable assessments of personnel needs or readiness levels.
He warned again that the current crisis could evolve into “complete paralysis.” His warning comes as Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 70,000 people and injured nearly 171,000 since October 2023.
