"At the end of the corridor a war awaits": IDF prepares for the moment of truth against Iran | Avi Ashkenazi
The IDF is preparing for the possibility of renewed fighting against Iran, but at the same time is grappling with a severe operational discipline problem: 160 fighters have been killed in operational accidents since the start of the war, about 14% of all fallen. A recent string of accidents in southern Lebanon highlights the erosion in the army after three years on seven fronts.
The IDF is preparing for the possibility of renewed fighting against Iran, but at the same time is dealing with a severe operational discipline problem manifested in a series of fatal accidents. Since the start of the "Iron Swords" war on October 7, 2023, 1,319 fallen of Israel's wars have died, of them 1,154 fallen of the IDF. Of those, 160 fighters were killed in operational accidents – about 14% of the fallen. The most recent accident, in which Capt. Eliav Haim Tzaflamos was killed, occurred on Thursday. Since then two more accidents have occurred in southern Lebanon: one in the Kfir Brigade in which two fighters were wounded by an ammunition explosion, and yesterday a fighter in the 188th Brigade was wounded by an explosion of ordnance in a tank in the Beaufort sector. The article notes that after three years of fighting on seven fronts, the IDF is tired and worn out, and there is no army in the world built for such prolonged wars. Many units have not conducted routine training, and the pressure and operational burden were especially great. Now, with a lull in the scope of the fighting, the operational discipline problem has surfaced. At the same time, the understanding in the security system is that if the Iranians do not initiate an attack before the elections, the preoccupation with the campaign will be postponed by a month to a month and a half, after the election season. Planning a campaign against Iran will require enabling weather without clouds and rain over Tehran.