Report: Israel’s army is running out of ammunition and tanks in the Gaza war

The Israeli army is reportedly running out of tanks and ammunition as it continues its deadly military assault on the Gaza Strip for the ninth consecutive month, Israeli media reported on Monday.

In documents submitted to the country’s Supreme Court, the military reportedly stated that a significant number of tanks were damaged or completely disabled during the Gaza offensive, but did not disclose the exact number, the Israeli daily said. Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

This admission came in response to a formal petition calling for the inclusion of female soldiers in the Israeli army’s armored corps.

Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the induction of female fighters had been “delayed until November 2025” due to a shortage of ammunition.

“The number of operational tanks in the corps is insufficient for war needs and for conducting experiments on the use of women,” the court documents say, as reported Yedioth Ahronoth.

The Army added that it does not expect to add new tanks to its armored force, but is keen to receive more weapons from the United States.

“This means that the current number of tanks is insufficient, neither for the war effort nor for training. In addition, the amount of ammunition and resources required to repair the machines is very limited, and the Israeli military is constantly working to expand them,” the army added.

This is the first time that the military has admitted the loss of tanks during the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the daily said.

Throughout the Gaza war, the United States, Israel’s long-time ally, has supplied the country with billions of dollars worth of weapons, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently sharply criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for “slowing down” the supply of ammunition.

Israel’s lack of ammunition could also raise questions about its capabilities in the event of an open conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as the two groups continue to clash on an almost daily basis. In June, Israel claimed it could deploy weapons that had “not yet been deployed” should cross-border fighting escalate.

As of Tuesday, Israel had killed at least 38,713 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, and 505 people in cross-border clashes in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also at least 98 civilians.

Israel has been condemned by UN agencies, human rights groups and several countries for its brutal military assault on Gaza, where a devastating humanitarian crisis is unfolding.

The UN has repeatedly warned of an impending famine in the region. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday described the entire area as a “death zone” because residents are subjected to indiscriminate bombings and attacks, are frequently displaced and lack food and other essentials.