The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) announced Monday that they would delay the integration of female tank crew members into the armored corps in Gaza due to a significant shortage of tanks and ammunition, many of which were damaged in recent confrontations, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.
This decision comes in the wake of a petition demanding that female tank instructors be allowed to join combat forces within Gaza after they participated in the confrontations that ensued in the wake of Operation al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.
The Israeli Chief of Staff decided to postpone the integration of female soldiers into the maneuvering armored corps until November 2025 due to the severe shortage of tanks and ammunition resulting from the prolonged war.
According to the petition, the Israeli occupation forces had planned a pilot program for female tank crew members starting in October, but due to the war’s constraints, it has been postponed until November 2025.
This marks the first time the IOF has admitted to losing a significant number of tanks in the war on Gaza and suffering from a shortage of shells and many soldiers and commanders who were either injured or killed in battles.
‘Constraints’ impeding program
“There are many constraints that will prevent the inauguration of the integration program next year, including the inoperability of many tanks, a shortage of ammunition, and a significant number of recruits needed to fill positions in the armored corps in the south and north, not as part of the program, and a shortage of training personnel,” the Israeli occupation responded to a Supreme Court petition.
“Objective difficulties have arisen due to the fighting in the Gaza Strip and other fronts, especially in the [IOF’s] combat units, where command and systemic attention is focused on the war,” the response added.
“Many tanks were damaged during the conflict and are currently out of commission, not available for combat or training, and there are no new tanks expected to join the armored corps soon. This means the existing number of tanks in the armored corps is insufficient for both war efforts and simultaneous pilot implementation,” it said.
Moreover, the IOF underlined that they are spread very thin in terms of the ammunition and resources needed for the maintenance of the equipment. Moreover, this comes as the IOF is conducting rapid training and recruiting of unusually large forces to complete missing teams immediately. However, due to the ongoing fighting on all fronts, there is not enough command attention to support the program.
Israeli aggression bogged down by shortages
As talks of Israeli aggression against Lebanon gain traction in occupation circles, fears grow over the readiness and stockpiles of Israeli occupation forces.
According to a Saturday report by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, the occupation’s military is experiencing a “really dangerous” situation, in which it suffers from shortages affecting various equipment.
As pointed out in Channel 12‘s report, the Israeli military command has been denying such claims in the past week, however, a recent extensive internal investigation has proven otherwise.
Israeli regular, reserve, and volunteer forces complained to the broadcaster of shortages affecting essential military gear, including ballistic armor, helmets, optical sights, and bomb suits, all of which are considered to be life-saving equipment.
Despite the shortage of individual gear among Israeli soldiers, a more dangerous scenario has come into effect. The broadcaster revealed that the status of the armory in a single Israeli formation led to drastically different results on the battlefield.
According to the report, Israeli military equipment, which includes armored vehicles and tanks, is subject to different standards, as some gear and systems are not up to the general quality of military-grade equipment.
In a recent report published by Maariv, shocking news regarding the losses suffered by Israeli armored forces emerged. The newspaper said that 500 armored vehicles, of various types, suffered damages since October 7, 2023. The lackluster Zelda M113 armored personnel carrier (APC) has been more heavily deployed by occupation forces in the Gaza Strip and has also been seen near the border with Lebanon.
In comparison to the weak armor of the M113, the Israeli Namer APC features an armored hull based on the design of the main battle Merkava 4 tank, shedding light on the huge gap between various Israeli equipment and systems.
