IDF chief moves to reduce reservist deployment to active combat zones by 30%

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has ordered a 30% reduction in the number of reservists deployed to active combat zones in the coming months, as the army grapples with growing signs of troop burnout and public frustration over the prolonged war.

The move, first reported by Army Radio this morning, is set to be implemented gradually across Gaza, the West Bank, and the northern border, and is aimed at easing the burden on the reserve corps, which has carried much of the military load since the war began with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught.

A source familiar with the decision confirms the plan to The Times of Israel, noting that the reduction hinges on the absence of major security escalations, such as renewed conflict with Iran or another large-scale operation in Gaza.

The move follows a record mobilization in late May, when the government approved the call-up of 450,000 reservists — the largest in Israel’s history. Some reserve troops have now been summoned for duty as many as seven times since the war began, despite earlier pledges to cap reserve service in 2025.