Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered the IDF to begin calling up reservists who were previously exempt from further service due to personnel cuts, Israeli media reported Monday night.
Approximately 15,000 citizens who were in the reserves were exempted under a previous wave of budget-cutting in the IDF.
“Within this framework, and after the preparations for this have been completed, the IDF has begun to recall the relevant candidates who served in essential units,” the IDF said.
“Those who are found suitable for returning and are exempt, will be assigned to the service in the various units according to the operational need.”
The IDF said in a joint statement with the Defense Ministry that the move comes in response to an updated assessment, and was “part of a process planned by the IDF to increase the reserve of service members.”
According to Israel’s KAN 11 News public broadcaster, about 50,000 IDF veterans who previously served in combat roles have not been called to serve since the start of the October 7th war, it was revealed in a closed meeting of the Knesset Foreign Relations and Defense Committee.
Data presented to the committee also showed that around 170,000 were exempted due to the IDF’s decision to reduce personnel, among other reasons.
Since the start of the war, however, some 70,000 IDF veterans who were exempt from service nevertheless returned to active duty on their own initiative.
Those to be recalled to duty are reservists still of mandatory service age — younger than age 40 (the standard exemption age) — for the majority of posts. Officers are exempt from service after age 45, and those in specialist positions or special forces are exempt after age 49.
Israelis who previously served in critical roles and who remain fit for reserve service are to be called in accordance with the “operational need,” the IDF said.
