Lapid: Israel doesn't have enough soldiers for flare-up in north
Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid has said that he is opposed to military service exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews, saying Israel’s military “is stretched to the limit.”
“If there is a flare-up in the north (on Lebanon’s front), there are not enough soldiers to manage it,” Lapid warned.
“Today, there are 66,000 ultra-Orthodox youth of conscription age. That’s 105 battalions that don’t enlist,” he added.
At least 313 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah on October 8 -- most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 53 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed, according to the latest official figures.
Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced by the fighting on both sides of the border.
Strikes have largely remained confined to border regions for the moment, but several have hit Hezbollah positions further north in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown conflict.
The group has repeatedly said that it will only stop its attacks on Israel with a ceasefire in Gaza.
Source: Naharnet
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