Israeli Occupation Army Succumbs to Finance: Reduction of 20,000 Reserve Soldiers and Preparation for Field Withdrawals

Translation by SadaNews – The Israeli occupation army has agreed to a request from the Israeli Ministry of Finance to reduce the number of reserve soldiers scheduled to be called up in 2026 by at least 20,000 soldiers, in a move described within the military institution as one that will increase pressure on the forces that will continue to serve, amid a shortage estimated at around 10,000 soldiers still being discussed in the Knesset concerning the draft avoidance law, as reported by Yedioth Ahronoth and translated by SadaNews.

The decision came after prolonged discussions in the General Staff over the past two months, especially since the ceasefire with Hamas, where the Chief of Staff of the occupation army, Eyal Zamir, approved the manpower plan for the coming year, which is based on the lessons learned from the October 7 attack, and includes doubling the number of fighters in most army units, while maintaining dozens of military sites inside Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese territories.

According to SadaNews translation, the original plan was for the occupation army to deploy around 60,000 reserve soldiers daily during 2026, but the new decision has reduced this number to around 40,000 only, which allowed the Israeli government to pass a defense budget of 112 billion shekels instead of the 140 billion that the army had demanded. Reserve service days consume a large portion of the budget, with the cost of a single day of service being around 1,100 shekels.

Reasons for the Retreat: Financial Pressures and Potential Withdrawals from Border Positions

Israeli military sources told "Yedioth Ahronoth," as translated by SadaNews, that the Israeli army realized it could not continue to grant open reserve days as it had during the war, a policy it used to convince soldiers to remain in service and prevent their exodus after long periods away from their homes and jobs.

Estimates suggest there might be an implicit understanding between the army and the government regarding a withdrawal from one of the border sectors in 2026, which would reduce the need for thousands of soldiers monthly. This withdrawal is likely to be from the "Yellow Line" within the Gaza Strip, where a significant number of reserve forces are stationed in temporary positions that are subject to rapid evacuation.

Accusations of Waste and Exploitation of Reserve Days

The Israeli Ministry of Finance has warned of "serious distortions" in the reserve system, indicating that around 17,000 soldiers have transferred between different units since October 7 to ensure the continuity of their service, making reserve service "more profitable" compared to regular service.

Testimonies from reserve officers spoke of an unprecedented inflation in some companies, where unit leaders have incorporated between 60 and 70 reserve soldiers into small formations that are supposed to consist of only 10 to 20 individuals. Senior leaders have also faced criticism for adding hundreds of reserve drivers to their teams instead of using lower-cost regular soldiers.

The occupation army admitted to the existence of violations and has opened internal investigations, but it rejected the Ministry of Finance's proposal to appoint a "personnel affairs monitor" in each unit to control the use of reserve days, asserting that some claims do not reflect operational reality.