IDF soldiers pictured in Gaza in July, during Operation Protective Edge. Photo: Israel Defense Forces.

JNS.org – Israeli State Comptroller Yosef Shapira warned Monday that the Israel Defense Forces’ emergency readiness—especially pertaining to the reserves, wartime supplies, and equipment maintenance—is seriously compromised.

Shapira’s audit of the military was performed between January 2013 and March 2014. According to Army Radio, the report revealed a series of training deficiencies pertaining to reserves units in the ground forces. Reviewing the months leading up to last summer’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, for example, the report noted that the reserves did not receive regular training, and that the training that was offered failed to properly maintain the level of operational competence required from combat soldiers.

During 2013, the report said, only 75 percent of scheduled training exercises were actually held, a fact compounded by budgetary constraints that allowed the IDF to train only 80 percent of its troops.

The comptroller’s review found that the equipment stored in the military’s emergency warehouses was both inadequate and poorly maintained, further noting that the IDF’s emergency apparatus was understaffed.

“There are difficulties performing routine maintenance for combat equipment during times of peace, which therefore jeopardizes the [IDF’s] ability to efficiently shift to emergency mode,” the report said.