‘Unbearable Burden Of War’: Hundreds Of Officers Retire From Israeli Army – The Cradle

 ‘Unbearable Burden Of War’: Hundreds Of Officers Retire From Israeli Army

Israeli troops are facing psychological issues and exhaustion as a result of battles in Gaza

Hundreds of Israeli officers have withdrawn from military service this year – citing the “burden of war” and unsatisfactory conditions for reservists, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported on 19 December.

“About 500 majors have already retired this year,” Israel Hayom said. The Israeli army is “surprised by the scope of the phenomenon, and admits that they estimated that the wave of departures would expand when the fighting subsides, and not in the midst of the war,” the daily added.

The report confirms that Israel started its war on Gaza last year with a “particularly acute manpower crisis.”

In 2022, a record number of over 600 Israeli majors retired from service. While the pace of departures slowed down at the start of 2023, as the war erupted in October of that year, the “trend is now worsening” once again, and the “outlook for 2025 is not encouraging.”

One of the reasons is “the unbearable burden placed on [soldiers] by the war.” Many are tired of leaving their houses and families and putting themselves at risk for a “not so rewarding” salary.

“The army is interested in increasing the number in order to establish more combat units, more defense battalions, more air defense units, and so on. At the moment, it is not clear how the army will manage to do this,” according to Israel Hayom.

Not only majors and captains are hesitant to continue service, but unit commanders are, as well.

The ground battles in Gaza and Lebanon have taken a toll on Israeli forces. A few weeks before the war and ground operations in south Lebanon ended, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel was facing a “huge” shortage of soldiers due to a serious enlistment crisis.

The newspaper said at the time that 7,000 recruits were urgently needed.

The atrocities and war crimes being committed against innocent Palestinians as part of the genocide that Israel has been waging in Gaza for over a year have also taken a psychological toll on some soldiers.

Earlier this year, dozens of Israeli reservists signed a protest letter saying they would not obey a government-issued call to Gaza, citing the atrocities being committed there.

An Israeli commander told Haaretz newspaper on 18 December that soldiers stationed on the Netzarim corridor in Gaza, which splits the strip into two, are under strict orders to “shoot anyone” they spot approaching the “killing area.”

“The killing area is the sniper’s target range … We kill civilians there, and they are counted as terrorists,” he added, revealing that a “competition” exists between the different army divisions occupying the east-to-west corridor. “If Division 99 killed 150, then the next in line would try to reach 200.”

The war has also taken a significant physical toll on top of the psychological aspect…

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle

Related: 12/19 – Haaretz: Israeli Soldiers Kill Civilians And Count Them As Terrorists

10/21 – ‘Everyone Not Dead Or Injured Is Mentally Damaged’: Israeli Army Hit By Silent Crisis

10/21 – CNN says Israeli troops endured “psychological trauma” for running over the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians

10/13 – The 130 Conscript And Reserve Soldiers Who Signed Letter Saying They Refuse To Serve If The Government Doesn’t Work Toward A Hostage Release Deal “Lost, and actually never had, a national conscience,” Netanyahu Says

8/22 – Only 70 Out Of 1,100 Ultra-Orthodox Jews Complied With Draft Orders: Israeli Army

8/11 – Three Israeli Army Refusers: ‘We Will Not Participate In Genocide’

8/8 – ‘We’ll Die Before Enlisting’: Ultra-Orthodox Israelis Storm Army Base

Follow us on Minds / X / Substack

Boost This Channel

Follow ➡️ @PsyopDaily

This article originally appeared on The Cradle

Share on Telegram