The Israeli army is reportedly running out of tanks and ammunition, as it continues to wage its deadly military onslaught on the Gaza Strip for the ninth consecutive month, Israeli media reported on Monday.
In filings submitted to the country’s Supreme Court, the military reportedly said that a significant number of tanks have been damaged or are completely out of service amid its Gaza offensive, but did not reveal the exact number, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
The admission was made in response to a formal petition demanding the inclusion of female soldiers in the Israeli army’s Armoured Corps.
Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the incorporation of female fighters has “been delayed until November 2025” due to the shortage in ammunition.
“The number of operational tanks in the corps is insufficient for the needs of the war and for conducting experiments of the deployment of women,” the court filing revealed, as reported by Yedioth Ahronoth.
The army added that it is not expected that new tanks will be added into its Armoured Corps, but has been keen to obtain more weaponry from the US.
“This means that the current number of tanks is insufficient, whether for war efforts or for training. In addition, the amount of ammunition and resources required to repair machinery is very limited, and the Israeli military is working all the time to expand it,” the army added.
This is the first time that the military had admitted losing tanks during the fighting in Gaza, the daily said.
Throughout the war in Gaza, Israel’s long-standing ally the US has provided the country with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently slammed President Joe Biden’s administration for “slowing down” ammunition deliveries.
Israel’s shortage of ammunition could also raise questions over its capabilities in the event of an all-out conflict with the Lebanese group Hezbollah, as the two entities continue to trade nearly-daily crossfire. In June, Israel claimed it could use weapons that have “not yet been deployed” should the cross-border fighting escalate.
Israel has killed at least 38,713 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children as of Tuesday, and 505 people in Lebanon in cross-border clashes, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 98 civilians.
Israel has been condemned by UN agencies, human rights groups and several countries for its brutal military onslaught in Gaza, where a devastating humanitarian crisis has been unfolding.
The UN has repeatedly warned of a looming famine in the territory, with Secretary General Antonio Guterres calling the entire territory a “killing zone” on Monday as residents are subject to indiscriminate bombing and attacks, frequent displacement, and a lack of food and other basic necessities.
