Israeli Reservists' Morale Hits Rock Bottom as Hundreds of Days of War Take Toll

As the Israeli government prepares to call up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers for its Gaza City offensive, an increasing number of soldiers are refusing to serve or are not showing up for duty, citing exhaustion, marital and career strains, and disillusionment with the war. The Israeli military's reliance on reservists, who have been called up repeatedly over the past two years, has taken a significant toll on their morale and motivation. According to military officials and analysts, the system of calling up reservists from civilian life for stints in battle worked for shorter wars, but many reservists have now done hundreds of days of active service, turning them into absent fathers, employees, and students.

Key Takeaways:

• Over the past few months, an increasing number of Israeli reserve soldiers have not been showing up for military service, with some citing exhaustion and others expressing disillusionment with the war.
• The Israeli military plans to call up an additional 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more for the Gaza City offensive.
• Reservists have been called up repeatedly over the past two years, with many doing hundreds of days of active service, leading to marital, career, and mental health strains.
• A senior Israeli military official stated that while there had been some attrition, most reservists were still coming, but at least two officers and soldiers reported that 40-50% of their reservist comrades were not turning up for duty.
• The military has attempted to manage the declining motivation of reservists by sending them to calmer fronts, such as the occupied West Bank, but some soldiers have begun to refuse to serve in Gaza on ideological grounds.
• Over 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including thousands of children, according to Palestinian health officials.
• Some soldiers have faced penalties for not reporting to their units, while others have served short stints in military prison for refusing to join their battalion's most recent deployment.
• The Israeli military has said it will investigate reports of improper conduct, including the alleged setting of Palestinian homes ablaze by soldiers in northern Gaza.
• Reservists are increasingly questioning the direction and purpose of the war, with some arguing that the government is trying to drag out the conflict as long as possible.

Statistics:

• Over the past two years, reservists have been called up repeatedly, with many doing hundreds of days of active service.
• The Israeli government has called up more than 300,000 reserve soldiers since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
• Initial turnout was often over 100%, but as the war has dragged on, cracks have begun to emerge, with reservists citing exhaustion, marital, and career strains.
• Around 40-50% of reservist comrades in at least two units were not turning up for duty, according to officers and soldiers.
• Over 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including thousands of children, according to Palestinian health officials.
• More than 250 people were taken hostage in the Oct. 7 attack.

Sources:

• The New York Times
• Israeli military officials and analysts, including Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Omer Dank
• Ariel Heimann, a retired brigadier general
• Ron Peretz, a university student
• Ron Feiner, a 26-year-old captain
• Avshalom Zohar-Sal, a 28-year-old combat soldier
• Palestinian health officials
• Natan Odenheimer and Ronen Bergman, authors of the Times article.