In accordance with Home Front Command guidelines and in an adapted format: Draft of male and female combat soldiers for the combat units of the March-April 2026 cycle has begun.
The March-April 2026 draft cycle, in which thousands of female and male recruits will join the IDF and serve meaningfully in various units, has opened during Operation ‘Lion’s Roar’.
Over the coming weeks, thousands of potential recruits will visit recruitment offices and centers across the country, beginning their military service. Among the recruits are women and men designated for combat roles in all field units, who will join the ranks of soldiers currently operating in all operational theaters.
The ‘Mitav’ unit in the Manpower Directorate has comprehensively prepared to conduct the recruitment processes in a format adapted to the security situation and Home Front Command guidelines, in order to enable optimal defense capabilities at any given moment while continuing recruitment uninterruptedly.
The continuation of recruitment is a central part of the IDF’s force buildup and ensures the army’s operational continuity, especially at a time when the IDF is fighting and proving its strength daily in various theaters.
Combat service is a source of strength for the IDF and the State of Israel. Female and male combat soldiers play a central role in maintaining the country’s security, and their contribution is significant, value-driven, and highly commendable.
Training bases have been prepared for the reception and optimal training of new recruits. Recruitment plans have been adapted to the IDF’s needs across all units and brigades, with the aim of continuing to strengthen the combat array and combat support array, and ensuring the required operational response given the operational missions in various theaters.
Every male and female recruit is entitled to the “Stars” grant, which will enable them to purchase clothing items at various retail chains.
Head of the Manpower Directorate, Major General Dadi Bar-Klipa, said: “Those who have decided to enlist in combat roles during the war and in the midst of Operation ‘Lion’s Roar’ represent the powerful voice of a generation that has risen to defend the people and the country. You, who are entering the IDF, are reporting out of a sense of mission, out of an understanding of the gravity of the hour, and out of boundless willingness.”
“Choosing meaningful service is the most decisive and clear answer to any enemy who has imagined that the spirit of our people has weakened. The enemy hears the roar on the front lines and can feel its power here as well, at the gates of the recruitment office. Whoever chooses to serve in combat and combat support roles at this historic time chooses to be a significant link in the chain of generations of the nation and is, in practice, writing the next chapter in Israel’s security. I am prouder of you than ever and trust you.”
Recruitment Data for the March-April 2026 Cycle
Recruit Distribution by Percentage:
Men – 59.92%
Women – 40.08%
Recruit Ages:
Youngest – 17.9 (Rescue and Extraction Combat Soldier)
Oldest – 33.5 (Techno-Tech Soldier)
Average Age – 19.0
62 new immigrants will be drafted in this cycle, including:
616 lone soldiers will be drafted in this cycle, including:
Countries with the Most Recruits:
USA, Russia, and Ukraine
Countries from which only one recruit came (the recruit was born in that country):
Monaco, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Armenia, Denmark, New Zealand, Poland, China, El Salvador, Cuba,
Ecuador, Bolivia, Uganda, Singapore, Greece.
Percentage of Recruits from Preparatory Programs and Service Years:
Men – 16.35%
Women – 14.05%
Distribution of Drafts by Different Offices:
Tel HaShomer – 38.46%
Haifa – 16.72%
Jerusalem – 18.88%
Be’er Sheva – 17.03%
Tiberias – 8.91%