Israeli Military Chief Hertzi Halevi has stated that the army is currently laying off some reserve personnel due to tensions between battlefield requirements and domestic life, according to Israeli media reports.
The Walla website reported that Halevi told commanders of the 99th Division in Gaza, “We understand the tension between the battlefield and home for reserve soldiers.”
He added, “We are acting according to a plan and are discharging some personnel, knowing that we will call them up again.”
This comes after the Israeli Occupation Forces withdrew the 36th Division from Gaza last Monday, which was one of four military brigades that Israel had deployed in its ongoing war on the enclave, now exceeding 100 days.
Previously, Israel had pulled some of its forces from various axes north of the Gaza Strip after suffering losses in its battles with the Palestinian resistance.
Two months ago, the Israeli military spokesman announced that the army seeks to reduce reserve soldiers in some of its rear formations, which would enable it to maintain its fighting capabilities over a prolonged period.
The Israeli military had called up between 300,000 and 360,000 reserve soldiers and officers following the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched by the Palestinian resistance on October 7, 2023.
However, the lengthy duration of the Israeli war on Gaza—now on its 106th day without achieving its declared objectives—and the mounting losses amongst the troops, in addition to the economic costs, are exerting pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
