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Israeli general warns army facing 'worst manpower crisis in its history'

Iran Press TV

Monday, 01 December 2025 7:37 AM

Israeli reserve general and military analyst Itzhak Brik has warned that the regime's army is wrestling with "the worst manpower crisis in its history" amid a severe shortage in personnel.

In an opinion piece published in the Hebrew-language daily Maariv, Brik stated that thousands of officers and non-commissioned officers had opted to avoid service in recent months by either refusing call-up orders or choosing not to renew their contracts.

Over the course of two years of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, the army claims that it has lost 923 troops and recorded 6,399 injuries.

Amid strict military censorship, reports indicate that the Israeli army is hiding greater losses to maintain morale.

Additionally, around 20,000 soldiers are estimated to be dealing with post-traumatic stress, as reported by Israeli media referencing data from the military.

Brik noted that numerous officers sought immediate discharge, while younger recruits were unwilling to commit to long-term contracts, leading to a significant shortage of professional personnel throughout the military.

The significant drop in manpower is now hindering equipment maintenance and the functioning of combat systems, he added.

The military analyst cautioned that the situation might soon render the army incapable of operating effectively.

He attributed the issues to a series of chiefs of staff over the years, criticizing them for poor decisions.

These included significant personnel reductions and the implementation of shorter service durations — three years for men and two years for women — which he said had resulted in substantial gaps that cannot be swiftly remedied.

Brik stated that these gaps forced experienced professionals out of service, placing unprepared individuals in sensitive roles who are unable to tackle the challenges of the current battlefield.

He highlighted that the army's manpower division has been functioning for years with a lack of professionalism and responsibility, neglecting fundamental issues in managing human resources and evaluating its requirements.

The military faces challenges with "information blindness" due to outdated systems and disjointed databases, he noted.

Brik cautioned that the manpower crisis might escalate into a total paralysis of the Israeli army.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed at least 70,103 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured 170,985 others in a two-year war in Gaza that has reduced much of the coastal sliver to rubble.

The onslaught has also led to the widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, creating a dire situation for the territory's surviving inhabitants.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide.