Israeli security officials are concerned about a possible threat emerging across an additional front and continue to observe the efforts of pro-Iranian militias from Iraq to attack Israel from the Jordanian border.
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Although the militias have not succeeded in carrying out successful attacks on Israel thus far in the current war, the officials said they detect a high motivation of the Iranian proxies to launch strikes against Israel using aerial or other means.
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Israeli forces thwart weapons smuggling attempt across the Jordanian border
(Photo: IDF)
The security officials cited one scenario that they are preparing for: that terrorists who may be conscripted from, for example, the Shiite minority in Pakistan, would be sent to train in Iran before being dispatched to launch attacks similar to the Hamas massacre on October 7, against Israelis. Another concern is that such squads, financed by Iran, will be assisted by Tehran supporters in Iraq to cross the deserts in Jordan, bringing them close to Israeli territory.
Israel has already begun taking operational and intelligence steps to thwart such attempts, and the IDF said that to respond to this and the other security challenges, especially in the wake of October 7, the military must increase the number of troops.
The IDF's demand for a larger force, especially by extending the duration of compulsory service and the number of days of reserve duty each year, is in order to meet the increasing security challenges; but even this is not enough and the service of segments of the population that have thus far been exempt must now be considered.
The IDF also intends to limit the number of combat-able soldiers from being deployed in the intelligence forces or other non-combat positions, and to increase the number of women in combat units.