Female Soldiers Drive Recruiting Boom as IDF Adapts to New War Realities
Female enlistment in Israeli combat units surged by over 20%, with record increases in roles like Combat Intelligence and Search & Rescue
Israeli women are increasingly embracing crucial combat roles in the country’s military, according to new recruitment data published by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The data shows that female recruitment during the November-December 2024 draft surged by an impressive 20% compared to last year.
Individual units also saw dramatic rises. The Combat Intelligence Collection Corps saw an 186% increase in female enlistment, artillery saw an increase of 183%, and Search and Rescue units saw 157% more women enlist. The Air Defense Command, Border Police, and infantry border units also each experienced growth in female enlistment of over 125%.
For comparison, the July-August 2024 draft saw impressive but slightly lower gains in female recruitment. The Combat Intelligence Collection Corps saw a rise of 128%, artillery units by 159%, and Search and Rescue units by 133%.
Female IDF soldiers. (Courtesy/IDF)
Brig. Gen. (ret.) Meir Elran, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, highlighted women’s remarkable progress in the Israeli military over recent years.
“There is huge progress in this respect over the last few years,” Elran told The Media Line. “The number of women in combat roles is growing constantly, and the quality of service—positions taken by women in Israeli military combat units—is becoming more prevalent and meaningful.”
This trend has become especially clear during the ongoing war. Elran pointed to examples such as female pilots playing a significant role in a major airstrike operation against Iran, female Armored Corps soldiers excelling in combat near the Gaza border on October 7, 2023, female paramedics providing crucial services during fighting in Gaza, and women in monitoring units informing other forces about potential terrorist encroachment.
Female IDF soldiers. (Courtesy/IDF)
While progress is evident, Elran acknowledged that work remains to be done in order to achieve gender parity in combat units. “We’re not talking about total equality,” he said. “The story is really about the increase in the number or percentage of women.”
He explained that the Israeli military has taken active steps to encourage women’s participation in combat units to address the shortage of combat soldiers. The military employs various tools, including media campaigns, videos, and educational programs, to highlight the importance of women’s contributions to the military. “It’s important to create an atmosphere that encourages women to enlist in these positions,” Elran said.
Service in combat positions is predominantly voluntary for women, and the difficult nature of the positions can deter women. “It’s more dangerous, more demanding in so many ways, including the conditions of sharing space with men in tough environments,” he said.
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To promote female enlistment into combat roles, mixed-gender units are structured to accommodate women’s needs, such as by allowing women and men to live separately while serving together.
Looking ahead, Elran sees a growing recognition of women as equal partners in military efforts. “Women have proven they can do it, and they can do it successfully,” he said. “This is a good reason to view them as integral to the military’s operations and to continue encouraging their integration into combat roles.”
Female IDF soldiers. (Courtesy/IDF)
A twenty–year–old female staff sergeant told The Media Line she spent the past two years serving in a mixed-gender combat unit in the Israeli military’s Search and Rescue Brigade. She explained that her unit isn’t divided and that they “do everything together.”
Additionally, the staff sergeant explained that the military provides a robust support system for soldiers, noting that assistance is available to everyone, regardless of gender.
“It’s not just for girls. It’s also for boys,” she said. “It’s in case people need help at home or went through something psychological. It’s a huge system in the army that really helps anyone who needs it. Girls and boys are equal,” she told The Media Line. “Whatever boys can do, girls can do.”
Although she had prepared for the physical demands of military service, she found the mental demands particularly challenging, especially since she was the first in her family to serve. However, she said it was “part of the growth of being a combat soldier.”
Despite this, she said she has never regretted joining a combat unit. “I knew what I wanted to do from the beginning, and after the training, it just made me happier to see what our unit does. Rescuing and helping made me even happier to be part of it,” she explained.
Female IDF soldiers. (Courtesy/IDF)
“I’m the first person in my family who was drafted to the Israeli army, so it was very important for me to do something meaningful,” the woman explained, adding that she moved to Israel with her family as a baby. “I’ve done a lot—more than I ever thought I would. I’ve made a lot of new friends, people who I would never have thought I’d meet.”
For others, including a young woman who serves in the Search and Rescue Brigade, military membership has been a family tradition. The fact that her relatives who had served in combat roles were all men didn’t deter her from wanting to follow in their footsteps.
“It really inspired me to do something and to prove myself as a girl,” the woman, who also preferred to remain anonymous, told The Media Line, adding that she takes on both combat and rescue missions as part of her role. “We do rescue missions, which is as important, if not more important, than the other stuff we do. We save lives—it’s the most amazing thing a person can do.”
She added that some of her service-related difficulties have included being far from home and missing her family, but the tight-knit unit has helped her overcome those challenges.
“I’ve learned so many new things about myself and progressed as a person and a human being,” the staff sergeant said. “The people around me, my friends, and the people I now call family make it all worth it in the end. If I’m having a bad day, I always have people to talk to, and we all go through the same thing. We’re each other’s best support system.”
She said that her work with male and female new recruits is a particularly rewarding part of her service.
“We work with them, talk to them, and explain why it’s important to do what we do. It’s amazing to see all the new soldiers and to feel like I’m making an impact. I feel fulfilled every day,” she noted.
Finally, regarding the increased presence of women in the military, the young soldier offered:
“I think it’s really empowering. We’ve proven our place and broken so many stereotypes.”
Female IDF soldiers. (Courtesy/IDF)
