As the US-Israel war with Iran continues to escalate and fears of a prolonged conflict loom, Eyal Zamir, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), warned that the Israeli military is “going to collapse on itself” due to severe manpower shortages. Zamir flagged these concerns during a security cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.&nbsp;“I am raising 10 red flags in front of you,” Zamir told ministers, The Times of Israel reported, citing a Channel 13 report on Thursday.&nbsp;The IDF is currently short of approximately 20,000 soldiers, with some reports suggesting a minimum gap of 12,000 combat troops required to sustain ongoing operations.&nbsp;Israel has been in a continuous state of conflict for over two years since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. In addition to its operations in Gaza, the IDF has also launched bombing and ground campaigns in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.&nbsp;Reservists are now entering their sixth or seventh mobilisation cycles. Zamir warned that “the reserves will not hold,” as the burden on these citizens and their families has reached an unsustainable level.&nbsp;He also highlighted the absence of three critical laws: a new Haredi conscription law, an updated reserve duty law, and legislation to extend mandatory military service back to 36 months (after it was reduced to 30 months in 2024).&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-iran-war-will-conclude-in-weeks-rubio-says-us-can-achieve-objectives-without-ground-troops-1774633450914">'Iran war will conclude in weeks': Rubio says US can achieve objectives without ground troops</a>&nbsp;Haredim are ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel who have historically been exempted from serving in the IDF due to a 1948 arrangement and religious objections.&nbsp;Due to the shortage, “significant gaps” are emerging in operational coverage. Zamir noted that an infantry battalion was recently diverted from the Lebanese border to the West Bank to manage rising settler violence and regional instability.&nbsp;The government’s move to legalise dozens of West Bank outposts has further increased the burden, requiring a “full protection package” that the military currently lacks the manpower to provide.&nbsp;Leader of the opposition Yair Lapid launched a sharp attack on Netanyahu following these revelations, saying the Prime Minister would not be able to claim he was not responsible.&nbsp;“The warning was given by the Chief of Staff, but there is no figure in the security system who does not stand behind it. The government must stop the cowardice, immediately halt all budgets to Haredi draft evaders, send the military police after deserters, and draft the Haredim without hesitation,” he wrote in a social media post.&nbsp;(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)

The IDF is currently short of approximately 20,000 soldiers, with some reports suggesting a minimum gap of 12,000 combat troops required to sustain ongoing operations.



As the US-Israel war with Iran continues to escalate and fears of a prolonged conflict loom, Eyal Zamir, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), warned that the Israeli military is “going to collapse on itself” due to severe manpower shortages. Zamir flagged these concerns during a security cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week. “I am raising 10 red flags in front of you,” Zamir told ministers, The Times of Israel reported, citing a Channel 13 report on Thursday. The IDF is currently short of approximately 20,000 soldiers, with some reports suggesting a minimum gap of 12,000 combat troops required to sustain ongoing operations. Israel has been in a continuous state of conflict for over two years since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. In addition to its operations in Gaza, the IDF has also launched bombing and ground campaigns in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah. Reservists are now entering their sixth or seventh mobilisation cycles. Zamir warned that “the reserves will not hold,” as the burden on these citizens and their families has reached an unsustainable level. He also highlighted the absence of three critical laws: a new Haredi conscription law, an updated reserve duty law, and legislation to extend mandatory military service back to 36 months (after it was reduced to 30 months in 2024). Also Read: 'Iran war will conclude in weeks': Rubio says US can achieve objectives without ground troops Haredim are ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel who have historically been exempted from serving in the IDF due to a 1948 arrangement and religious objections. Due to the shortage, “significant gaps” are emerging in operational coverage. Zamir noted that an infantry battalion was recently diverted from the Lebanese border to the West Bank to manage rising settler violence and regional instability. The government’s move to legalise dozens of West Bank outposts has further increased the burden, requiring a “full protection package” that the military currently lacks the manpower to provide. Leader of the opposition Yair Lapid launched a sharp attack on Netanyahu following these revelations, saying the Prime Minister would not be able to claim he was not responsible. “The warning was given by the Chief of Staff, but there is no figure in the security system who does not stand behind it. The government must stop the cowardice, immediately halt all budgets to Haredi draft evaders, send the military police after deserters, and draft the Haredim without hesitation,” he wrote in a social media post. (Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)

The IDF is currently short of approximately 20,000 soldiers, with some reports suggesting a minimum gap of 12,000 combat troops required to sustain ongoing operations.

‘Israeli military will collapse on itself’: IDF chief raises ‘10 red flags’ amid manpower shortage

Israeli Defence Forces chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that the “yellow line” that divides Gaza under Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan is a “new border” for Israel. Speaking during a visit to Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in northern Gaza, where he met with reservists, he said that Israel would hold its current military positions. Zamir’s statement comes despite Israel’s earlier declaration that it has no plans to annex the war-torn territory.The region would give Israel control of more than half of Gaza, including the majority of the agricultural land and the border crossing with Egypt.“The ‘yellow line’ is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity,” Zamir said as per the English-language transcript of his remarks provided by a military spokesperson, reported the Guardian. “We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defence lines.”The surviving Palestinian population of over 2 million were forced to move into a narrow coastal zone due to Israeli attacks and evacuation orders in the eastern region of Gaza.Zamir’s latest remarks come in contradiction to the ceasefire agreement signed in October, which states that “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza”. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials had also stated that they only want to disarm Hamas, not occupy Gaza.Under the US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the Israeli military needs to “progressively hand over” Palestinian territory to an international security force until they have “withdrawn completely from Gaza”, except for a small security perimeter along the border.Meanwhile, the Israeli government have not confirmed whether Zamir’s statement reflected official policy. The Guardian quoted an official as saying that the IDF troops were “deployed in Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire outline” and accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire.Last month, the Guardian reported, citing US military planning documents, that the US military is planning to divide Gaza into a “green zone” that will be under Israeli and international military control, where reconstruction activities will take place, and a “red zone” that will be left in ruins. The war-torn strip will be divided by the current Israeli-controlled “yellow line”, it added.

The region would give Israel control of more than half of Gaza, including the majority of the agricultural land and the border crossing with Egypt.

Israeli Defence Forces chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that the “yellow line” that divides Gaza under Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan is a “new border” for Israel. Speaking during a visit to Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in northern Gaza, where he met with reservists, he said that Israel would hold its current military positions. Zamir’s statement comes despite Israel’s earlier declaration that it has no plans to annex the war-torn territory. The region would give Israel control of more than half of Gaza, including the majority of the agricultural land and the border crossing with Egypt. “The ‘yellow line’ is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity,” Zamir said as per the English-language transcript of his remarks provided by a military spokesperson, reported the Guardian. “We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defence lines.” The surviving Palestinian population of over 2 million were forced to move into a narrow coastal zone due to Israeli attacks and evacuation orders in the eastern region of Gaza. Zamir’s latest remarks come in contradiction to the ceasefire agreement signed in October, which states that “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza”. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials had also stated that they only want to disarm Hamas, not occupy Gaza. Under the US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the Israeli military needs to “progressively hand over” Palestinian territory to an international security force until they have “withdrawn completely from Gaza”, except for a small security perimeter along the border. Meanwhile, the Israeli government have not confirmed whether Zamir’s statement reflected official policy. The Guardian quoted an official as saying that the IDF troops were “deployed in Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire outline” and accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire. Last month, the Guardian reported, citing US military planning documents, that the US military is planning to divide Gaza into a “green zone” that will be under Israeli and international military control, where reconstruction activities will take place, and a “red zone” that will be left in ruins. The war-torn strip will be divided by the current Israeli-controlled “yellow line”, it added.

The region would give Israel control of more than half of Gaza, including the majority of the agricultural land and the border crossing with Egypt.

‘Yellow line is new border,’ declares IDF chief, even though Israel earlier said no Gaza annexation plans

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Monday (Aug 11) said that all options presented to the security cabinet last week were focused on defeating Hamas. Zamir’s remarks come in response to the critics, who accused the top army officials of preferring an approach aimed more at freeing hostages rather than dismantling the Palestinian militant group.&nbsp;“In accordance with the cabinet’s decision, we are at the outset of a new stage in the fighting in Gaza. We will develop the best method according to the defined objectives, while maintaining professionalism and the principles that guide our actions,” Zamir said as quoted by The Times of Israel.&nbsp;The IDF chief’s comments come as the army is preparing to capture Gaza City, after the security cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to ‘take over’ the territory.“We will do this according to the readiness of the forces and the weaponry, with the hostages in mind — we will do everything to preserve their lives and bring them home,” he said.&nbsp;Zamir further clarified that all alternative plans that were presented to the cabinet “intended to bring about the defeat of Hamas, with full understanding of the implications in all aspects.”&nbsp;Earlier reports suggested that Zamir had opposed the Israeli prime minister’s plans over humanitarian concerns and risking the lives of the hostages. Critics of the alternative plans said that they were more focused on freeing the hostages than on defeating the militant group.&nbsp;“The IDF knows how to capture Gaza City, just as it knew how to capture Khan Younis and Rafah. Our forces manoeuvred there in the past; we will know how to do so again,” Zamir said.&nbsp;The IDF chief, who was speaking at an assessment focused on evaluating the military’s operational readiness during the war, added that the standing army and reserves must be allowed “breathing space” to continue operations in Gaza “in the most efficient and optimal way, while preserving strength for the future.”&nbsp;The meeting was part of a broader process to create a multi-year plan for the army, while maintaining continued operations, according to the IDF.

Earlier reports suggested that Zamir had opposed the Israeli prime minister’s plans over humanitarian concerns and risking the lives of the hostages.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Monday (Aug 11) said that all options presented to the security cabinet last week were focused on defeating Hamas. Zamir’s remarks come in response to the critics, who accused the top army officials of preferring an approach aimed more at freeing hostages rather than dismantling the Palestinian militant group. “In accordance with the cabinet’s decision, we are at the outset of a new stage in the fighting in Gaza. We will develop the best method according to the defined objectives, while maintaining professionalism and the principles that guide our actions,” Zamir said as quoted by The Times of Israel. The IDF chief’s comments come as the army is preparing to capture Gaza City, after the security cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to ‘take over’ the territory. “We will do this according to the readiness of the forces and the weaponry, with the hostages in mind — we will do everything to preserve their lives and bring them home,” he said. Zamir further clarified that all alternative plans that were presented to the cabinet “intended to bring about the defeat of Hamas, with full understanding of the implications in all aspects.” Earlier reports suggested that Zamir had opposed the Israeli prime minister’s plans over humanitarian concerns and risking the lives of the hostages. Critics of the alternative plans said that they were more focused on freeing the hostages than on defeating the militant group. “The IDF knows how to capture Gaza City, just as it knew how to capture Khan Younis and Rafah. Our forces manoeuvred there in the past; we will know how to do so again,” Zamir said. The IDF chief, who was speaking at an assessment focused on evaluating the military’s operational readiness during the war, added that the standing army and reserves must be allowed “breathing space” to continue operations in Gaza “in the most efficient and optimal way, while preserving strength for the future.” The meeting was part of a broader process to create a multi-year plan for the army, while maintaining continued operations, according to the IDF.

Earlier reports suggested that Zamir had opposed the Israeli prime minister’s plans over humanitarian concerns and risking the lives of the hostages.

‘New stage in fighting in Gaza’: IDF chief says all options presented to security cabinet aimed at ‘defeat of Hamas’

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‘Israeli military will collapse on itself’: IDF chief raises ‘10 red flags’ amid manpower shortage

‘Yellow line is new border’: IDF chief says troops will hold position in Gaza

IDF chief says all options presented to security cabinet aimed at Hamas’s defeat