Some 300,000 reservists have been called up since the war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023, according to the army, 18 per cent of them men over 40 should have been exempted.

Military service is mandatory from the age of 18 for Israeli men and women, though several exemptions apply.

Since the occupation army launched its ground offensive in Gaza on 27 October last year, it has lost 367 soldiers, while 37 have died in Lebanon since Israel began ground invasion there on 30 September.

Periods of reserve duty have been extended, and some reservists complain they are unable to go on with their normal lives for up to six straight months.

"We're drowning," said reservist Ariel Seri-Levy in a social media post shared thousands of times.

He said he had been called up four times since 7 October and called out those who want Israel to "stay in Lebanon and Gaza".

"We have to end this war because we are out of soldiers," he said, adding that while he still believed in serving one's country, "the concessions have become too great".

Another reservist and father of two told AFP under condition of anonymity that "to fatigue and moral exhaustion is added the fact that I lost my job".

Many freelance workers have had to close shop because of the war, even if the government guarantees a minimum income for reservists.

"The collective is still above the individual but the cost is too great for my family," the reservist said, adding that he spent nearly six months in Gaza this year.

Ultra-Orthodox exemptions 

The ongoing war has inflamed the public debate on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews, many of whom are exempted from military service.

The ultra-Orthodox account for 14 per cent of Israel's Jewish population, according to the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), representing about 1.3 million people. About 66,000 of those of conscription age are exempted, according to the army.

Under a rule adopted in 1948, when it applied to only 400 people, the ultra-Orthodox have historically been exempted from military service if they dedicate themselves to the study of Jewish texts.

In June, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the draft of yeshiva (seminary) students after deciding the government could not keep up the exemption "without an adequate legal framework".

Ultra-Orthodox political parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition called for such a framework before a vote on the budget at the end of the year.

Six men who had volunteered despite being eligible for exemptions were killed in combat between October 22 and 28, including a father of 10.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.