Khaberni - A study revealed that the Israeli army faces a major crisis in retaining military personnel in service, while senior army officials continue to sound the alarm about the increasing shortage in the ranks of the forces.
According to Channel 12, the army suffers from a shortage of about 1,300 officers at the ranks of lieutenant and captain, in addition to about 300 officers at the rank of major.
The report is based on internal surveys conducted by the army, revealing that only 63 percent of the officers are willing to continue service, compared with 83 percent in 2018. Among non-commissioned officers, the ratio has dropped this year to 37 percent, compared to 58 percent in 2018.
The Israeli army has faced difficulty retaining professional soldiers for years, as civilian work is seen as more attractive in terms of income and less stressful in terms of responsibilities.
The crisis has recently worsened due to war fatigue, declining service conditions as perceived within the military institution, political tension, and widespread dissatisfaction with recent appointments in the senior military leadership.
Earlier in November, senior officers in the army's human resources directorate informed Knesset members that about 600 professional soldiers are requesting early retirement, and young officers are being promoted prematurely to fill significant gaps in positions.
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and the head of the Human Resources Directorate, Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, along with other officials, are working on plans to address the escalating crisis and try to prevent the enactment of legislation that could further deteriorate the conditions of professional military personnel.
There are currently about 80,000 Haredi men, aged between 18 and 24, who are eligible for military service but have not enlisted.
The Israeli army urgently needs about 12,000 recruits to offset the heavy pressure on the regular and reserve forces due to the war against Hamas in Gaza and other military challenges. Khaberni - Dr. Ayman Maqableh, Director of the Epidemiology Department at the Ministry of Health, confirmed that the epidemic situation of confluent influenza is stable, and there is no increase in the number of recorded cases, emphasizing to Khaberni that the figures are still within normal levels.
In a statement to "Khaberni," Maqableh explained that confluent influenza virus is less severe compared to other seasonal viruses, noting that it tends to spread more among premature infants due to their weak immunity.
He confirmed that the ministry continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and take all necessary measures to ensure the health safety of the citizens.
