ALBAWABA– Bloomberg reported Friday that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) developed the first combat unit for religious women. Due to the Gaza Strip war and a growing number of Orthodox Jewish women interested in combat jobs, the program addresses a soldier shortage.
If its performance is successful, the newly formed unit, which consists of a few dozen female troops, is anticipated to expand. Interestingly, the unit is led by women and has a specific religious counselor, which is a first for the IDF.
Before joining a women's battalion, the unit will undergo eight months of hard training, the article said. Some will be combat intelligence officers, boosting army operations.
The IDF said the unit will provide religious women interested in combat positions additional options. Orthodox Jewish women were formerly excluded from military duty because warfare was deemed improper for them. As the battle escalates, the dynamics have changed.
The IDF's resources have been depleted since the fight started in Gaza on October 7, 2023, and spread to Lebanon and Syria. Bloomberg reported that a new unit soldier said, "The army truly needs more fighters—we hear this all the time."
The multi-front conflict has left the IOF short of 7,000 combat and support soldiers, according to Channel 12. The army is contemplating recruiting thousands of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) adolescents to fill the shortfall.
Additionally, the Israeli Ministry of Defense plans to recruit 10,000 troops over the next two years. This includes integrating 6,000 ultra-Orthodox recruits to strengthen the army during simultaneous hostilities in Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere.
The religious women's fighting unit is crucial to solving the IDF's manpower issues and changing Israeli women's role.
