Zamir warns Knesset that military urgently needs more soldiers amid multifront war

IDF chief urges MKs to advance legislation enabling the enlistment of military-age ultra-Orthodox men, extend mandatory service from 30 to 36 months and amend reservists law

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir asserted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in a closed-door session on Sunday that the military needs more soldiers “immediately” amid ongoing multifront fighting, Hebrew media reported.

“I am not dealing with political or legislative processes — I am dealing with multifront warfare and defeating the enemy,” Zamir reportedly told lawmakers after appearing before the committee following pressure from its chairman, Boaz Bismuth.

“In order to continue to do that, the IDF needs more soldiers immediately,” he said.

According to the reports, Zamir urged lawmakers to advance legislation in three parts to help ensure the IDF has sufficient manpower.

The first, he suggested, was to lengthen mandatory military service for men to 36 months, after it was shortened to 30 months in August 2024.

“Shortening regular service… will cause an unreasonable burden on the reserves. There are urgent security needs,” Zamir said.

In January 2027, the first cohort enlisted under this shorter service will be relieved, further exacerbating manpower issues, unless the existing law is changed.

He then suggested the law on military reserves be amended to allow the army to enlist reservists for longer periods according to operational needs.

The third part focused on legislation regulating the increase in the number of conscriptions to the IDF, emphasizing ultra-Orthodox recruitment.

During the committee meeting, Zamir refused to answer a question from MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism) on his position regarding the Haredi conscription law promoted by the coalition.

The proposal currently being considered in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee states that its goal is to “regulate the status of full-time yeshiva students while recognizing the importance of Torah study.”

But in practice, it would continue to grant military exemptions to full-time yeshiva students while ostensibly increasing conscription among those no longer studying.

It also removes various provisions from a previous draft intended to ensure that those registered for yeshiva study are actually studying, and cancels all sanctions on draft evaders when they turn 26.

Some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged between 18 and 24 are currently believed to be eligible for military service, but have not enlisted. The IDF has said it urgently needs 12,000 recruits — mostly combat troops — due to the strain on standing and reserve forces caused by the multi-front war of recent years.

This also isn’t the first time Zamir has warned the government about the IDF’s manpower shortage. In March, he reportedly warned the security cabinet that “the IDF is going to collapse in on itself” if more soldiers aren’t recruited.

“Right now, the IDF needs a conscription law, a reserve duty law, and a law to extend mandatory service,” he was quoted as saying. “Before long, the IDF will not be prepared for its routine missions and the reserve system will not last.”

On Wednesday, it was reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently requested that ultra-Orthodox lawmakers agree to put off coalition legislation exempting yeshiva students from military service until after the 2026 elections.

According to the Behadrei Haredim news site, Netanyahu told senior ultra-Orthodox lawmakers in a private meeting that his coalition does not have a majority to push the controversial bill through. He also argued that the timing wasn’t right for bringing the bill back onto the agenda, given the multifront security tensions.