IDF manpower chief: Extension of service period doesn’t replace need for more troops

Major General Dado Bar Kalifa, chief of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, stated that the Knesset's decision to extend mandatory military service for males to 32 months is an "operational necessity" but does not negate the immediate need for more troops. The IDF requires 12,000 additional recruits, including 7,000 combat troops, to address manpower shortages exacerbated by ongoing conflicts. Kalifa emphasized that the extension provides "minimal breathing room" but does not replace the need to expand the pool of draftees from the entire Israeli public, referencing the ultra-Orthodox community, many of whom are currently exempt from service. The IDF had initially sought a return to a 36-month service period, which was in effect until 2015, but lawmakers only approved a 32-month extension, with a planned reduction to 30 months in June 2029.