Israel calls up ultra-Orthodox Jews into its army for the first time in country’s history

Israel has called up ultra-Orthodox Jews to fight in its army for the first time amid fears the Middle East conflict could escalate.

The Israel Defense Forces has issued a call for 1,000 men from the devout Haredi community to join the army’s ranks, the first of 3,000 to be called up in the coming weeks.

The ruling follows a decision by Israel’s Supreme Court that ultra-Orthodox men can no longer be exempted from military service, ending an agreement that has been in place since Israel’s founding in 1948.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region after the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, a day after a drone launched by the group hit Tel Aviv.

Recruiting ultra-Orthodox men is a contentious issue in Israel, and the Haredi leadership fiercely opposes any attempt to draft young men. Some rabbis even urge anyone who receives a draft to burn them.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region after the IDF carried out airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen on Saturday.

Many ultra-Orthodox Jews, who traditionally attend religious schools (yeshivas), believe that military service is incompatible with their way of life.

But as Israeli forces continue to fight in Gaza, more than nine months after the October 7 Hamas terror attack, there is growing pressure from the military and secular Israelis to spread the burden of military service.

Israelis are required by law to serve in the military for a minimum of 24 months from the age of 18. Since October 7, approximately 300,000 citizens have been called up for reserve duty.

The government has indicated that military service for conscripts and reservists should be extended to meet the country’s security needs.

According to the Israeli military, anyone who ignores multiple conscription orders may be locked out of the country or even imprisoned.

The attack comes after a Houthi drone struck an apartment building in Tel Aviv on Friday, killing a 50-year-old man and wounding eight others.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night after the attacks that his country would defend itself “by all means.”

Speaking on Saturday night after the attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would defend itself “by all means.” Pictured: Netanyahu on Saturday

Israel responded by launching a series of airstrikes in Yemen, the first time it has been directly attacked, killing six people and wounding more than 80, according to Houthis-affiliated news sources.

Israeli forces say they intercepted a ballistic missile fired in retaliation yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets and drones from southern Lebanon, raising fears of a wider regional confrontation.

Saudi Arabia yesterday called for restraint following the Israeli attack on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attack “aggravates current tensions in the region and halts ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza.”

It also ‘called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and keep the region and its people at a distance from the dangers of war’.

Last night, Netanyahu ordered a delegation to be sent on Thursday to negotiate a hostage deal with Hamas.

The statement did not specify the delegation’s destination.

So far, a ceasefire led by Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, has failed to produce any agreement, with both sides in the nine-month conflict in Gaza blaming each other for the impasse.