Israel Hayom reports that reserve soldiers protesting the IDF's plan to ban donated equipment have announced that they intend to leave reserve duty if they cannot continue using donations.
According to the report, the Ground Forces Command has recently issued an instruction that combat units must turn in all donated equipment, and provide an accounting of where all donated equipment was used since the beginning of the war. This comes on top of an existing directive that no units accept any further donations, and a warning that doing so could lead to disciplinary action against the soldiers who used the donated gear.
The IDF claims that the orders have been issued for the soldiers' safety, and are intended to prevent friendly fire, unsafe equipment, and theft and resale of equipment between units.
A group of soldiers who were part of the protest explained their decision: "We lacked vests, helmets, weapon accessories, medical equipment, and backpacks. Donations provided all of this within a few days, instead of the many weeks needed for the IDF to do so. The equipment from the army was sometimes broken, sometimes worn out, or even just manufactured several decades ago and no longer relevant against modern weapons."
"We are ready to do whatever it takes to protect this country, but we need to be properly equipped for it. If the IDF can't provide for itself, it should tell donors what gear is acceptable, and whatever it is, they will provide. Stopping donations completely only hurts the combat soldiers."
The IDF responded to the report: "Throughout the war, the IDF has repeatedly emphasized that acquisition of military equipment is an organized, orderly and professional procedure, which contains all the required tests, both in the context of the quality of the equipment and its suitability for its purpose, and in ensuring the required safety standard," the IDF spokesman said in response. "There is no intention to confiscate equipment that meets the IDF standard."
"Using non-standard equipment may endanger the lives of the soldiers in the field due to the lack of operational effectiveness and/or safety risk. Helmets go through obsolescence tests to verify their suitability. Infantry and engineering units received combat helmets that meet IDF standards, unlike some of the helmets that are donated, which do not meet the IDF standards even though they are new."
"The IDF is working to ensure that all soldiers receive all the required operational equipment. Discrepancies can be reported up the chain of command, or at the IDF complaints department, available to all soldiers at *3653."