Israeli army faces 'deep' crisis after nearly three years of war, newspaper reports

Israel's military is struggling with personnel, equipment and budget shortages after nearly three years of fighting, the Hebrew-language newspaper Ma'ariv reported. The army will soon begin assessing whether it can still carry out all of its missions, as force reinforcements are needed across every branch, not only the air force, according to the paper. Ma'ariv cited reserve soldiers deployed to a brigade on the Syrian border, who said even a single bottle of mineral water was not set aside for each soldier and that units outside maneuver battalions had to drink tap water. Reservists serving at the Nahal Oz outpost near the Gaza border told the paper they lacked cooks and guard-duty personnel, and that dinner was served only after pressure from staff. The newspaper said shortages of tank engines and spare parts deepened after German supplies were halted, leaving armored vehicles and tanks in need of heavy maintenance. Ma'ariv added that the gap between the political leadership's objectives and the military's realities has widened, and accused Prime Minister Netanyahu's government of being focused on preserving its political survival.