Key facts
- Israel has used ammunition equivalent to 30 years of its previous stockpiles in less than three years of war.
- The extensive military operations are straining personnel, equipment, and finances.
- The army has lost 1,138 personnel and recognized 11,730 others with physical or psychological injuries.
- A single month of reserve service costs approximately 2.1 billion shekels ($703 million).
- Israel conducted significant military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
- The US proposed an $8 billion arms sale to Israel in late 2024.
Israel has expended ammunition equivalent to 30 years of its previous stockpiles in less than three years of conflict, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Maariv. This extensive usage is placing a significant strain on the military's personnel, equipment, and finances.
The Israeli Air Force's activity during this period has been equivalent to roughly nine years of operations under normal conditions, while tanks and armored personnel carriers have gone through thousands of engines. Maariv noted that while military hardware can be replaced or repaired, the toll on personnel is far more difficult to reverse.
The army alone, excluding other security agencies, has lost 1,138 personnel, with an additional 11,730 recognized as suffering physical or psychological injuries. Thousands more experiencing psychological trauma may eventually be added to these figures. Signs of strain are also evident among career soldiers, with many opting for less demanding roles or leaving military service altogether.
Currently, an average of 53,000 reservists are kept on active duty daily. Maariv reported that a single month of reserve service last year cost around 2.1 billion shekels ($703 million), equivalent to the price of seven F-35 fighter jets or 70 Merkava tanks. Israeli forces are deployed across Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, in addition to the occupied West Bank, with five battalions deployed in Gaza covering approximately 60% of the enclave.
The report also touched upon the proposed $8 billion arms sale from the outgoing Biden administration, which includes small-diameter bombs, munitions for fighter jets and helicopters, and artillery shells. Between October and December 2023, Israel dropped or fired 30,000 munitions on the Gaza Strip alone. In late 2024, Israel expanded its operations with air campaigns in Lebanon, firing over 2,000 munitions in a single day and assassinating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli Air Force also conducted strikes deep inside Iran in October 2024.