The Israeli army is facing a “severe shortage” of troops and military equipment after three years of war and is preparing to suspend soldiers’ leave, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported Friday.

“As a result of the severe shortage in the number of soldiers in the Israeli army, it is prepared to violate their basic rights and deny them leave,” the newspaper said.

Despite the personnel shortage, Maariv noted the dismissal of Lt. Col. A., who served as the Gaza Division’s intelligence officer in October 2023, because he “bore command responsibility by virtue of his position.”

“The Israeli army does not have enough tanks and armored personnel carriers,” Maariv said, adding that three years of war had worn down the vehicles and that hundreds had been damaged.

“For political reasons, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich can cut funding to the Israeli army and busy himself with complaints, while the opposition is preoccupied with internal struggles like reckless children,” the newspaper said.

On Tuesday, Israel’s Channel 12 said the army had lost a planned purchase of 12 Apache attack helicopters from US manufacturer Boeing because of a shortage in its procurement budget.

The report came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed during a routine meeting to persuade opposition leader Yair Lapid to cooperate on increasing the military procurement budget.

Channel 12 said the army was already warning that unless the requested funding increase arrives soon, efforts to return tanks and armored personnel carriers damaged during the war to service would stop, while some ammunition production lines would also be affected.

Over the past three years, the Israeli military has waged wars and carried out military operations across the region, including its war on the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023 and continues in different forms.

Israel has also fought wars with Lebanon and Iran, alongside continuing military operations in the occupied West Bank and Syria.

The conflicts have imposed significant human and financial costs on the Israeli military, amid strict censorship by Israeli authorities over information concerning its losses (AA)