IDF reduces reservists while striking Hezbollah tunnels and Hamas commanders

Phased drawdown of emergency reservists begins next week, even as operations continue on multiple fronts.

IDF reduces reservists while striking Hezbollah tunnels and Hamas commanders — The IDF is starting a phased reduction of reservists called up under emergency order Tzav 8 next week, according to a Ynet report on Friday, July 10.[^1] The move comes as the military continues to strike Hezbollah and Hamas targets, but sources indicate the reserve reduction does not solve the IDF's personnel shortage problem.[^1] In southern Lebanon, IDF forces destroyed two massive tunnels in the village of Majdal Zoun two days ago, each about 200 meters long and 20 meters deep.[^2] They also located and destroyed Hezbollah weapons depots containing explosives, machine guns, missiles, and launchers.[^3] In Gaza, the IDF eliminated 12 terrorists in the last 24 hours, including Yahya Sa'id Muhammad Hamdan, the head of the Nukhba squad that raided the Re'im camp during the October 7 massacre, in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.[^4][^5] Meanwhile, the IDF eliminated two Hamas operatives in aerial strikes in the northern Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem Border Police rescued a 30-year-old Israeli man from Givat Ze'ev who accidentally entered the Palestinian village of A-Ram on Thursday evening.[^6][^7] The rescue followed a similar incident on Monday, July 6, when ten Israeli civilians were rescued from Kalkilya.[^7] The reduction of reservists suggests the military is shifting its posture, but the personnel shortage remains a structural challenge. How long can the IDF sustain operations on multiple fronts with a smaller mobilized force? Society: From café protests to soldier support, a fractured mosaic — Last week, hundreds of Haredi protesters demonstrated outside the ‘Basmeta’ café in Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood, overturning chairs, banging on windows, and spitting at patrons.[^1] The protest targeted the café’s Saturday operation; activists from the Hitorerut movement have pledged to be present from opening to closing to prevent disturbances.[^1] The incident underscores a persistent tension over public space and religious observance in Israel’s mixed urban areas. This week, masked individuals smashed the entrance doors of the News 12 and Haaretz newsrooms in Tel Aviv.[^2] Four