Today (Monday), the IDF presented a comprehensive strategic plan to dramatically reduce the number of reservists. The army admitted, "Currently, there is no control over reservists' deployments, and we need to bring order."
The data presented by the IDF reveals a staggering waste of resources at the height of the Gaza conflict. "In 2023 and 2024, battalions arrived with 700 people, when in reality we needed less than half of that," acknowledged a senior IDF official. According to him, the security establishment spent 56 billion shekels just on reservist payments in the last two years.
The army intends to end the phenomenon of "attachments"-a situation where soldiers are attached to other units just to receive financial benefits, without any real operational need. "Our goal for 2026 is to significantly reduce the deep impact on families."
One of the most contentious issues is the structure of deployments. Currently, many units operate on a "week in the army, week at home" model, which negatively affects the ability of reservists to integrate into the job market. The IDF regulations require a structure of 10 days of service and 4 days off, and the army intends to enforce this strictly from now on.
"You can't maintain 70 days of reserve duty plus call-ups and training over time," the IDF clarified. "When needed, we fight with all our strength, but when the situation calms down, we must act responsibly."