Israeli army's exhausted reservists 'drowning'

More than a year into the Gaza war, the Israeli army's reservists are exhausted and it is struggling to recruit soldiers just as it opens a new front in Lebanon.

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Some 300,000 reservists have been called up since the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, according to the army, 18 per cent of them men over 40 who should have been exempted.

Military service is mandatory from the age of 18 for Israeli men and women, though several exemptions apply.

Israel is waging a multi-front war against Hamas in Gaza and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Since the military launched its ground offensive in Gaza on Oct 27, 2023, it has lost 367 soldiers in the campaign, while 37 have died in Lebanon since Israel began ground operations there on Sept 30.

Periods of reserve duty have been extended, and some reservists complain they are unable to go on with their normal lives for up to six straight months.

"We're drowning," said reservist Ariel Seri-Levy in a social media post shared thousands of times.

He said he has been called up four times since the Oct 7 attack and called out those who want Israel to "stay in Lebanon and Gaza".