Israel extends mandatory military service for reservists

The Knesset on Wednesday approved an emergency bill which extends the mandatory service period for army reservists, reported the Times of Israel.

The temporary measure, effective for two months, increases the exemption age for enlisted soldiers from 40 to 41 and for officers from 45 to 46. Moreover, specialists such as doctors and air crews will now be obliged to serve until the age of 50, compared to the previous age of 49.

According to the Times of Israel, the purpose of this interim solution is to prevent a mass release from the reserves, particularly among those soldiers reaching the exemption age, amid its ongoing war on Gaza.

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During the the plenary session, Israeli general Shai Tayeb, commander of the occupation army’s Human Resources Planning and Management Division, said:“We asked to extend the exemption age by a year for the reason that not every soldier can be replaced and it is also not right for this replacement to happen during wartime.”

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since 7 October, leaving it in ruins, with half of the coastal territory’s housing damaged or destroyed and nearly two million Palestinians – 85 per cent of the population – displaced within the densely populated enclave amid acute shortages of food and clean water.

Over 360,000 Israelis were called up for reserve duty.

The bill is coupled with a nine billion shekel ($2.5 billion) wartime assistance programme for reservists.

Israel has killed 8,800 children alongside 6,300 women since the offensive on Gaza started on 7 October, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

READ: Report: number of wounded Israeli soldiers approaching 20,000