IDF chief freezes planned longer service for elite combat units after outcry

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has frozen the planned implementation of extended mandatory service for combat soldiers in selective ground units, such as special forces, the IDF says.

The freeze, announced after an outcry from troops and their families, came amid internal discussions about broadening the enforcement of additional service obligations for troops in these elite units.

According to the military, the planned extension of military service was not a new policy, as troops in selective units had committed to it upon enlisting, but it had not been enforced.

Following a preliminary review, Zamir has instructed that no soldier will be required to serve beyond the basic terms agreed to at the start of their service track.

He also established a review team headed by the IDF’s Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan to examine the operational and professional implications of the additional service period, especially in light of the ongoing strain on IDF manpower during the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The manpower strain comes against the background of a political storm over military draft exemptions for Haredi men. The military has said that it currently requires some 12,000 new soldiers, 75% of whom will be combat troops.