Formal complaints by career soldiers jumped 40% in last year – report

Israel’s military ombudswoman on Monday published an annual report into complaints of alleged abuse, negligence, and incompetence by commanders toward their subordinates, with this year showing a “significant and worrying” rise in complaints by career soldiers.

The report by Brig. Gen. (res.) Rachel Tevet-Wiesel, known formally as the chief complaints officer, who works out of the Defense Ministry, included thousands of complaints from conscripts, career soldiers, and reservists. The number of complaints has remained relatively stable in recent years.

The 217-page report was presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz and to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, as well as senior officers in the IDF.

Over the course of 2025, the ombudswoman’s office received 6,621 complaints from Israeli troops or their parents, only a 2 percent decrease from the previous year. Tevet-Wiesel’s office reviewed each of the cases, finding that the majority of them — 52% — were legitimate, with the rest dismissed as false or trivial.

The majority of the complaints, 3,134, were made by soldiers in their mandatory service. Reservists made up 1,269 of the complaints, and young civilians, ahead of their conscription, another 847.

Notably, career soldiers made up 965 of the complaints, a “significant and worrying” increase of 40% over last year, the report said.

The majority of the complaints made by career soldiers, 58%, were legitimate, according to the report.

“This is a warning sign that requires action to ensure that, alongside the expectation of total dedication from career service members, particularly after two years of intense and exhausting activity, the military authorities act to ensure that their rights are safeguarded and that their treatment is full and professional,” Tevet-Wiesel said in the report.

Recently, senior officers in the IDF’s Personnel Directorate told lawmakers that some 600 career soldiers were seeking early retirement, and junior officers were being promoted early to bridge the gaps.

The IDF, for years, has struggled to keep career soldiers in the military, as civilian work has been seen as far more lucrative and less stressful.

The issue has been exacerbated recently due to burnout from the war, perceived worsening service conditions, political delegitimization, and discontent over recent appointments within IDF leadership.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the head of the Personnel Directorate, Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa and other top officers have been working on plans to address the growing crisis and prevent legislation that could further harm conditions for career soldiers.

The chief complaints officer’s document is prepared each year, based on written complaints from soldiers, interviews, and reviews of internal military reports, to identify both worrying and positive trends within the IDF.

As they do every year, the complaints also deal with cases of physical and verbal abuse, soldiers failing to receive proper medical care, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and poor conditions.

Responding to the report, the military thanked the ombudswoman and said it would help the IDF improve on the issues it highlights.