In response to a Supreme Court petition seeking to expand combat roles for women, the IDF revealed that it is contending with a shortage of tanks and ammunition due to the ongoing war, citing this as a reason to postpone its female integration pilot by a year, to November 2025.

“During the war, many tanks were damaged, they are currently out of service and are not used for combat or training, and new tanks are not expected to be introduced into the corps in the near future,” the IDF said in its response to the petition.

The IDF explained that “the existing number of tanks in the armored corps is insufficient, both for war efforts and for simultaneous testing.” Additionally, “the amount of ammunition and resources required for maintaining the equipment is very limited.”

Regarding women’s integration into combat units, the IDF said, “At this stage, before the investigation and learning regarding the combat of women in the war have been exhausted, and before their conclusions were examined by the relevant professional and command authorities – it is not possible to draw conclusions in a professional, responsible, and based manner as required, and to make decisions regarding the placement of women in additional combat roles.”

The IDF concluded, “It should be clarified that after completing the investigation and learning process and examining its conclusions by the relevant professional and command authorities, it will be assessed whether they have implications for the integration of women in additional combat roles.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)