Israel to ‘permanently’ arm 10,000 reserve forces in occupied territories after al-Aqsa Storm lessons

According to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the plan centers on Division “David” (96), a unit established about a year ago that relies on older reservists, generally between the ages of 40 and 60, who volunteer to return to the army.

Under the plan, the reservists will receive an M4 or upgraded M16 rifle, magazines, a combat vest, and a helmet, all to be delivered directly to their residences inside the occupied territories.

The weapons would be stored in large safes provided by the army, enabling the forces to report immediately to their battalion sector in the event of an emergency.

The report said the rifles would be kept inside the residences throughout the year, a measure aimed at significantly reducing response times during future emergencies.

While the reservists would wear uniforms for only several weeks annually, the firearms would remain in their possession for most of the year even during the times they are not carrying out assignments.

Israeli military officials cited the October 7, 2023 events as a pivotal turning point, marking a departure from former policies, when many forces, including combat troops, were prohibited from taking weapons with them to their residences due to concerns over theft or safety incidents during leave, according to the paper.

The Zionist regime has around 400,000 reserve forces, it wrote.

The operation saw the Gaza Strip’s resistance fighters storm the occupied territories, encircling Zionist regime’s outposts, and ensnaring hundreds of Zionists.

The regime responded with a war of genocide against the coastal sliver, during which at least 923 officers and troops have been killed, according to Israeli data.

Resistance sources, however, have put the number far higher, pointing to the regime’s confirmed and routine censorship practices aimed at retaining the morale of its forces and illegal settlers.

On the first anniversary of the unprecedented resistance operation, the military wing of Gaza’s Hamas resistance movement, the al-Qassam Brigades, described the mission as a large-scale, preemptive strike carried out amid sustained Israeli aggression against Palestinians.

Speaking at the time, the brigades’ spokesman Abu Obeida said the operation shattered the regime’s perceived military superiority, adding that resistance fighters had since been engaged in a prolonged and unequal confrontation.