Israel goes in for early recruitment in IDF to bolster war effort

Israel, which is in conflict with Palestinian terrorist organisation - Hamas, has decided to begin early recruitment of soldiers “to strengthen combat units in light of the needs of battle… against the backdrop of the war.” As per the announcement made in a joint statement by the Israeli military and Defence Ministry, the Israel Defence Forces, or IDF, will hold the recruitment drive in March of around 1,300 Israelis who are currently enrolled in pre-army, yeshiva, and community programs. Why IDF is going for early recruitment? The statement said the purpose of the early recruitment “is to strengthen combat units in light of the needs of battle… against the backdrop of the war, the turnover of casualties and the necessity to fill the ranks and expand combat forces." Most of the probable enlistees to be drafted in early recruitment round are expected to finish their training by the end of the academic year in June and then enlist sometime after that, depending on their IDF track. As per the statement, those who are in the second year of a two-year program will be chosen to be called up early over those in their first. The statement also said the recruitment by the IDF will be done in conjunction with the various program organisers to minimise harm to the programs and candidates, who potentially could miss out on certain military tracks because they enlisted early. IDF recruitment break-up The statement said 850 trainees will be recruited from the pre-army and community service year programs, and 450 from yeshivas, with an emphasis on those already slated to enlist this year. In Israel, there are dozens of pre-army academies, with over 4,000 students. The selection process is highly competitive and can include a lengthy application process. Many pre-army academy students go on to join elite commando units, undergo officer training, or fill other high-level roles in the army. The statement also said probable candidates who were evacuated from their homes near the Gaza and Lebanon borders due to the Israel-Hamas war will not be recruited early. The war broke out on 7 October, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, where terrorists overran military bases, communities, and a music festival, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians. The terrorists also took 253 hostages, about half of whom remain in Gaza.