Israeli army admits it lacks tanks and ammunition in Gaza war

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army admitted on Monday that it was suffering from a shortage of tanks and ammunition amid its ongoing deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip.

In documents filed by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth before Israel’s Supreme Court, it said many of its tanks were damaged during the Gaza war and there was a shortage of ammunition.

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

“The number of operational tanks in the corps is insufficient for war needs and for conducting experiments on the use of women,” the newspaper said, citing the court documents.

According to the report, Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi has decided to postpone the admission of women into combat positions until November 2025 due to the severe shortage.

Since the Gaza conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, at least 682 Israeli soldiers have been killed and more than 4,100 others injured, according to military sources.

Israel is ignoring a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and is facing international criticism for its ongoing brutal offensive on Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7.

Since then, nearly 38,700 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 89,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

More than nine months after the start of the Israeli attack, large parts of the Gaza Strip lie in ruins and there is a crippling blockade on the supply of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice. In its latest ruling, Israel was ordered to immediately cease its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before the May 6 invasion.

*Written by Ahmed Asmar

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