Israel's military on Friday said it lacked over 10,000 soldiers, including around 6,000 for combat units, as it pressed an intensified campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The army "lacks over 10,000 soldiers, including about 6,000 combat soldiers. This is a genuine operational need, and that's why we're taking all necessary steps", army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised press conference when asked about the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army.
