Israeli military announces major structural changes and expanded forces

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that the military would undergo significant structural changes and expand its current manpower with new units in the future.

The IDF explained that the “force build-up plan and broad changes in the structure and organization of the army” would help the IDF adapt “to future challenges and addressing the challenges and lessons of the current war” with Iran and its terror proxies – Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.  

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, who assumed his post in March, approved the organizational changes, which include reviving a defunct armored brigade, creating a new infantry brigade, strengthening air and border defense and upgrading the “strategic capabilities” of the Israeli Navy.  

Though highly capable, the relatively small Israeli Navy has until now largely operated in the shadow of the more prominent and prioritized Israeli Air Force (IAF). However, the new vision of the IDF seeks to upgrade the Navy into becoming a “long-range strategic arm” like the IAF.

On Tuesday, the Israeli Navy conducted its first-ever strike on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, which is located over 2,000 kilometers (more than 1,300 miles) from Israel. The IAF has previously targeted Houthi positions on multiple occasions.  

Zamir, who inspected the IDF troops in Gaza on Wednesday, emphasized that “the State of Israel cannot exist on the basis of a minimal force, but rather needs broad defense margins. In addition, more standing army and reserve forces will ease the burden on reservists.” 

Israel has severely degraded Hamas and largely dismantled its senior leadership after 20 months of conflict. However, the IDF chief stressed that the Gaza War was not over.  

“The campaign is not over, and we are required to continue acting to bring back all our hostages and to defeat the enemy. We will work to shorten the campaign and transition to new combat formats that will allow us to meet our objectives and reduce the burden on the fighters,” Zamir stated.  

The IDF revealed that it plans to add a new battalion each year over the next three years. The first new battalion will be deployed in the north region and is expected to be operational in 2026.  

The strategic decision to expand the IDF comes at a time when the military seeks to integrate a large number of ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) Jews into its ranks.

While a growing minority of ultra-Orthodox Israelis have joined the Israeli military in recent years, the large majority of the community currently does not serve, which has resulted in escalating tensions in the Israeli government and among citizens.