IDF officers claim that the official IDF supply lines have not been able to keep pace with the shortages generated by ten months of war.
According to Ynet, members of the Alexandroni Brigade, which has been in frontline combat in Gaza for a significant period already, say they are not receiving the equipment they need from the IDF. A letter from the brigade's supply sergeants details a lack of observation equipment, uniforms, armor, weapon attachments, medical supplies, living quarters, and vehicles in good working order.
"Our soldiers are the cutting edge of the State of Israel, who have left families, businesses, studies, and routine - and therefore they deserve to be the first priority in the country", the sergeants noted. "More than 150 days later, the shortages of equipment have us collecting donations, which is a shameful situation that takes up valuable time from the operational tasks at hand. It is a shortage that also causes further attrition and a drop in the percentage of people who show up for reserve duty."
The letter also denounces a recent plan to restrict units from using donated gear: "Any interruption or disruption of the donations will directly affect the combat readiness of the soldiers, and thus our erosion will increase. This equipment should be provided by the IDF, but until the army provides the donations, they should not be stopped."
Lower-level commanders have also reported needing to go to extreme lengths to fill their ranks as fewer soldiers are able to report for reserve duty. Some claim to have needed to negotiate for scattered days of service, and other officer have found themselves trying to convince their troops to stay in service longer than allowed by IDF regulations. Some commanders have claimed to need to trade reserve days for extra supplies, benefits, or bonuses.
The IDF has recently taken steps to prevent officers from flouting the regulations, including forbidding donated gear or raising money for donations and instituting stricter oversight and penalties against soldiers using more than their permitted quota of days in reserve service.
Another solution currently being tested is to have the army sign exceptionally brief career contracts with soldiers, allowing them to stay on duty for longer, reducing the necessary pay, and allowing them to serve under a different set of regulations than those limiting the time allowed for reserve service.
The Finance Ministry has also stepped up oversight recently, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich planning to establish a committee to oversee Israel's defense spending. Smotrich stated that the committee would be tasked with "examination of [the IDF’s] force structure and the defense budget to examine its suitability for the war and the security challenges facing the State of Israel.”
The IDF claims that it is operating within the budget allotted for 2024, and insists that the supply problems stem instead from the manufacturers of military gear and the challenges presented by Israel's political leadership, including several months of delays in launching ground offensives due to international pressure.