IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir suspended plans to require an additional year of service for troops in elite infantry units amid deployment needs in the war, days after it was announced. In a statement the IDF said that, after initial review, preparations to extend the service of combat soldiers will be halted. The IDF said the discussions were about an extra year of service that soldiers in some elite infantry units commit to when they join them.
The decision last week, which was revealed on Ynet, drew condemnation because of the government's efforts to pass a draft bill that would exempt Haredi men from service.
Soldiers from the Kfir Brigade recently appealed to the chief of the IDF's manpower directorate after they were informed that, despite having served for over two years, with hardly any time away from the war, they would now have to forfeit their final leave before being discharged. They said they are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court, demanding that they be given leave as all other active duty soldiers receive in the final days of their service.
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According to the military, soldiers who volunteer to serve in the elite units do so with the understanding that their service could be extended for up to a year after they receive special training to bring them to the level required in such units.
Zamir also ordered the establishment of a commission to review all aspects of the matter including operational needs and the demands of the troops during the war.
The IDF is experiencing a shortage of some 10,000 soldiers since the war began. Some 900 IDF soldiers have been killed and tens of thousands injured since the October 7 massacre.