JERUSALEM

The Israeli army urgently requires an additional 7,000 soldiers, with half of these intended for combat roles, an Israeli daily reported on Friday.  

“This figure is over and above the soldiers already slated for recruitment in upcoming cycles,” Yedioth Ahronoth reported. 

It added that the army is calling for another 7,500 officer and non-commissioned officer positions, “while the treasury is currently only approving 2,500.” 

The daily pointed out that “approximately 582 soldiers have fallen in battle, and several more are physically and psychologically wounded, to the extent that they are unable to return to their roles.” 

The report said, “these unprecedented figures underscore the shock experienced by the IDF in the wake of nearly 150 days of conflict, which began with substantial losses on October 7.” 

It noted that “the Engineering Corps, which played a pivotal role in the successes in Gaza, will be reinforced with an additional battalion.” 

“Furthermore, reserve platoons that supplanted regular platoons in each brigade of the Armored Corps will revert to being comprised of mandatory service soldiers.” 

The daily further said that “the Air Force is also gearing up for expansion, primarily in the air defense system, with the addition of several new Iron Dome batteries.” 

“Ground defenses against sudden attacks will be bolstered, reflecting one of the lessons learned from the vast scale, intensity, and audacity of the Hamas operation on October 7,” Yedioth Ahronoth reported. 

Based on Israeli army data, since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7, 582 Israeli officers and soldiers have been killed, including 242 in the ground war in the Gaza Strip that began on Oct. 27. The data also indicate that 3,009 officers and soldiers have been injured, including 1,431 in ground battles in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and over 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala