Israeli Military Chief Hertzi Halevy has acknowledged that the army is currently discharging some reserve forces due to the tension between the battlefield and the demands of life, according to Israeli media reports.
The website Walla reported that Halevy told the leaders of the 99th Division in Gaza, “We understand the tension between the battlefield and home for reservists.”
He continued, “We are acting according to a plan and discharging some individuals, knowing that we will call them back.”
This comes after the Israeli occupation forces withdrew the 36th Division from the Gaza Strip last Monday, which is one of four military divisions Israel pushed into its ongoing war on the sector for over 100 days.
Prior to this, Israel had withdrawn some of its forces from several fronts north of the Strip after suffering losses in its battles with the Palestinian resistance.
Two months ago, the Israeli military spokesperson announced that the army aims to reduce reserve soldiers in some of its rear formations, enabling it to maintain capabilities for prolonged combat.
The Israeli military had called up between 300,000 and 360,000 reserve soldiers and officers following the operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” launched by the Palestinian resistance on October 7, 2023.
However, the prolonged duration of the Israeli war on Gaza—now at day 106—without achieving its stated objectives, along with escalating losses among the troops and the economic cost, puts pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
