The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it was working to reduce superfluous reserve forces after the government ordered it to cap the number of reservists serving this year. At the same time, it vowed not to harm the benefits provided to those who report for duty.

At the peak of the war, the IDF activated around 300,000 reservists, and it had previously been expected to call up some 60,000 during 2026 for routine activities. In December, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich agreed, as part of the state budget, to cut the number of reservists serving on any given day in 2026 to 40,000 — a move they say will save billions of shekels.

The IDF said it was scaling back roles it deems unnecessary, such as full-time reservists reinforcing civil defense squads in border communities and in the West Bank, as well as certain headquarters positions.

The military also said it would reduce the number of days reservists are required to serve under routine call-up orders — as opposed to emergency ones — from 72 to 55.

Of the 55 days in reserve duty, 42 would be dedicated to operational activity, with the remainder being for training and........

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