IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir on Tuesday night ordered the IDF’s Human Resources Command to initiate a new maximal drafting of haredim (ultra-Orthodox) to help with the widening invasion of Gaza and the ongoing war effort.
To date, the army has sent out 24,000 summons since summer 2024 for tens of thousands of draft-age eligible haredim, only a fraction of whom have agreed to join the military.
In addition, Zamir has emphasized the shift to sending a draft notice to every 16.5-year-old haredi male, something that has generally not been done in the past.
It was unclear what new measures Zamir wanted the IDF to take to be more aggressive in recruiting, whether in the area of sending more summons or greater readiness to arrest draft dodgers.
Further, Zamir directed a speeding up of the special programs slated to absorb haredim in a way that will allow them to maintain their haredi lifestyle.
Many such new programs have been rolled out in waves since 2024.