Inside Israel’s military meltdown: shortages, sanctions, and the price of prolonged war

According to the network, while the Israeli cabinet has decided to expand its military operations and occupy Gaza City, the army has announced that it is struggling with both a shortage of manpower and a serious deterioration of its military hardware.

Israeli army assessments indicate that in order to occupy Gaza City in the coming months, it will require 10,000 soldiers — including 7,000 operational troops and 3,000 combat support forces — as well as extensive military equipment.

The report states that the army is facing a shortage and deterioration of tanks and armored personnel carriers, partly due to the lack of spare parts.

The broadcaster attributed much of the equipment shortage and deterioration to foreign sanctions, explaining that over the past 22 months Israel had been importing engines and gearboxes for its armored vehicles from Germany. However, due to Berlin’s arms embargo, it is now facing major difficulties in maintaining and supporting these vehicles.

The report adds that this situation is severely affecting the army’s readiness for expanded operations in Gaza and could prevent it from achieving the political leadership’s objectives there.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 7 reported that the Israeli ambassador to Germany expressed outrage today over Berlin’s arms embargo, imposed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying that it is clear relations between Israel and Germany “will not be the same as before.”

The Israeli daily Maariv also reported yesterday on the worn-out state of the army’s military equipment, stating that after two years of continuous war in Gaza, the army’s hardware is exhausted and inoperable. Tank engines and gearboxes have been decommissioned due to overuse, and many armored personnel carriers, planes, and helicopters have exceeded their designated service life.

The paper noted that not only has heavy equipment been worn down over the past two years of thousands of hours of use, but personal gear for soldiers — including weapons such as machine guns, rocket launchers, night vision equipment, bulletproof vests, and helmets — has also deteriorated.

According to Maariv, this has forced soldiers’ families to spend thousands of shekels to purchase military gear for their children.

Military correspondent Avi Ashkenazi revealed that many soldiers and units are now seeking ways to obtain new or second-hand equipment in good condition in order to continue the war.