Army engineers reported that 30–40% of bulldozers are unfit for combat and that replacement parts for tanks and armored personnel carriers remain in short supply. The IDF has launched a large-scale procurement drive that includes rifles, drones, combat vests, and night-vision devices, though deliveries remain incomplete.
So far, about half of the 20,000 night-vision kits and 1,500 Humvees ordered for frontline soldiers have arrived. The military has also purchased 80,000 new rifles and thousands of drones, including Israeli-made loitering munitions credited with killing hundreds of Hamas fighters in Gaza.
“Israel is in the midst of a long war unlike anything the IDF has experienced before,” a senior ground forces officer said. “There is enormous wear and tear on both personnel and equipment.”
At the National Training Center in Tze’elim, the army has set up two new task headquarters focused on preparing reservists for expanded operations, with an emphasis on urban warfare, explosives handling, and driving in combat conditions. This week, five reserve brigades were called up under emergency orders, three of them assigned to Southern Command to replace regular units expected to spearhead the push into Gaza City.
The IDF admitted that bulldozer readiness is also a problem: only 60–70% will be operational for the upcoming maneuver due to heavy losses from anti-tank fire. Half of the 132 bulldozers purchased from the U.S. have arrived, and private contractors will begin servicing them next month.
The shortages come against the backdrop of growing international pressure and weapons export restrictions. “There have been embargoes against us even before Germany’s ban,” officials said, noting Berlin supplies tank engines. “We are working to secure alternatives.”
The maneuver in Gaza City, expected to begin in mid-September with four divisions, will aim first to push civilians southward into displacement zones in al-Mawasi. Progress will depend on how quickly residents evacuate. Israeli officials fear Hamas could move hostages into Gaza City to use them as human shields, a tactic the group itself hinted at in recent statements.
To minimize risks in urban combat, the IDF has adopted a new building-demolition method known as “ceiling-to-floor.” Using drones, soldiers punch holes in rooftops with small explosives, then drop larger charges into the structures for controlled detonation, reducing hours of booby-trapping to just minutes.