The commander of a reserve battalion deployed in the security zone in southern Lebanon sent an urgent letter to senior IDF officers — including the deputy chief of staff, the Northern Command chief, and the head of the Personnel Directorate — warning that the army's decision to cut 30% of the battalion's authorized positions has left it without critical roles such as medics, drivers, and cooks, and is undermining its ability to carry out its mission. The commander wrote that the cut was made 'arbitrarily, without any analysis of the unit's needs,' and that reservists who had canceled family vacations and made arrangements at work were told at the last moment their call-up was canceled — an insult, he said, that will damage future willingness to serve. The IDF spokesperson has not responded to the report, according to Army Radio and N13.
The letter, sent by the commander of a reserve battalion currently deployed in the security zone in southern Lebanon, was addressed to Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, Head of the Personnel Directorate Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, and Head of the Operations Division Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram. The commander wrote that the IDF's decision to fix the battalion's manpower at the number of soldiers who reported in the first days of the deployment, rather than the authorized strength, resulted in an immediate 30% cut. Soldiers who had not yet returned from overseas travel, were held up by work or university exams, or had other temporary reasons for not reporting in the first days were suddenly removed from the unit's roster, the commander said. The letter warns that the unit now lacks essential personnel — medics, drivers, cooks, and operations center sergeants — and that commanders face impossible moral and operational dilemmas.
The commander also expressed concern about the long-term impact on reserve service. He noted that many reservists had made significant sacrifices — canceling planned summer family vacations, coordinating with employers — only to be told their call-up was canceled at the last moment. 'The decision to cancel their orders at the last moment is an insult to those who put their lives aside for service,' he wrote. He warned that in future deployments, soldiers could rightly claim that the army releases and calls up as it pleases, and question whether they are truly essential.
The report, by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh of N13 / Army Radio, states that the IDF spokesperson has not responded to their query, which was submitted more than a day ago. The development comes amid a broader IDF personnel crisis. As The Zioneer has reported, senior officers have warned that the combat force is nearing collapse without a service extension, and the IDF has been preparing to release thousands of reservists due to budget pressures. The letter highlights the tension between operational needs and manpower management during a prolonged multi-front war.
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