The IDF is currently working on creating a new reserve division, which will consist of tens of thousands of volunteers who have already been exempt from reserve duty, Galei Tzahal reported on Monday.
The move comes to meet the urgent need for thousands of additional combat soldiers in the south and on the northern front.
According to the report, the creation of the division was already approved in principle by Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the process is in its advanced stages.
The division is expected to be named the 96th Division, and according to the initial plans, it will consist of five reserve brigades which will be created gradually.
The report states that Maj. Gen. Motti Baruch, who was the commanding officer of the Qualification and Training Command, is behind the initiative, and in the meantime, officers who are expected to serve as battalion commanders in the division were contacted.
The soldiers who are destined to serve in the division are not just those who have passed the age of reserve duty, but also those who were exempt from duty by the IDF for various reasons.