The publication noted that thousands of officers and soldiers are seeking discharge, while young people are refusing to enlist for permanent service.

“The army’s personnel is suffering the most serious crisis since the IDF’s founding,” it emphasized.

The newspaper warned that in recent years the quality of personnel has declined drastically and highlighted the severe shortage of both officers and soldiers.

Many high-ranking commanders are also reluctant to remain on active duty, it indicated.

The newspaper pointed out that “the situation has reached a point where there is no one in charge of weapons or the army’s reconstruction.”

If the situation continues, the IDF will soon lose its ability to operate at full capacity, it warned. He estimated that these problems were caused by high-ranking officers who made controversial decisions, including drastic personnel cuts and reductions in military service.

Israeli media outlets have claimed in recent months that the military crisis is also linked to the two-year aggression against the Gaza Strip, which led to high desertion rates and the destruction or damage of a large amount of military equipment.

Maariv asserted that the IDF is demonstrating “strategic blindness and a complete disconnect from the reserve force.”

In September, the Haaretz newspaper also addressed the crisis in the Israeli military establishment, citing as an example the exhaustion and declining morale of the soldiers.

“The morale of the soldiers has decreased, and some officers are finding it difficult to impose discipline within their units,” it stated.

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