The Israeli army is reportedly facing a major depletion in its ranks and plans to recruit 12,000 soldiers, including 7,000 for combat units, as it readies itself for a possible confrontation with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, Mehr News Agency reports.
Brigadier General Shai Tayeb, who leads the Israeli military’s Planning and Personnel Administration Division, informed the Knesset (parliament) Subcommittee on Israeli army personnel that the regime must broaden the pool of individuals eligible for service.
He also highlighted that troop numbers are projected to experience a significant decrease by January 2027.
“We need to prepare in the next five years for 36 months of service and 70 days of reserve duty per year,” Tayeb said.
The announcement follows Tel Aviv’s call on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to conduct house-to-house raids in southern Lebanon to seize Hezbollah’s weapons – a demand that the Arab nation’s army has rejected emphatically.
Reuters news agency on Monday quoted unnamed Lebanese security sources as saying that Israel has been pressuring Lebanon’s army to adopt a firmer approach in dismantling Hezbollah, including conducting searches of private residences in the south for weapons.
It reported that the Lebanese army turned down the request, cautioning that such actions might spark civil unrest and be perceived by residents as “subservience to Israel.”
bd-pratidin/GR
