No army in modern history has been asked to do more under greater strain than the Israel Defense Forces over the last two years. The IDF has fought on multiple fronts—Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, Yemen and Iran—with courage and skill. Yet beneath the headlines of tactical victories lies a harder truth: Israel’s most revered institution is fraying.
One reason Israel had resisted ground operations in the Gaza Strip in the past was the fear of casualties. The cost of the war in life has been far lower than expected, but still staggering. More than 1,150 Israeli security personnel—including soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet agents and civilian security officers—have been killed in combat or from related causes such as accidents, illness or suicide. Nearly half were under 21.
Some 20,000 s