According to a media report, the Israeli government has decided to extend compulsory military service for men from the current 32 to 36 months. The new regulation will apply for the next eight years, according to the news portal Ynet reported on Friday.
This decision was made at a meeting of the security cabinet on Thursday evening. The entire cabinet is expected to vote on it on Sunday.
The military leadership has declared that the army needs more personnel for the war against the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the conflicts with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
In addition, the government plans to employ thousands ultra-Orthodox religious students who had previously been exempt from military service. The Supreme Court recently overturned the controversial exception for devout Jews.