Amid Manpower Shortages, IDF Weighs New Medical Profile To Expand Combat-Service Pool

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF is considering introducing a new medical profile of 70, a move that could expand the pool of recruits eligible for combat service. The proposed profile would fall between the existing profiles 64 and 72, allowing some prospective recruits who previously would have been assigned exclusively to rear-echelon positions to undergo screening for a wider range of combat and combat-support roles.

Under the current system, Profile 72 is generally the minimum medical classification for many frontline combat positions, while lower profiles can limit a recruit’s eligibility for certain physically demanding assignments. Recruits with Profile 64, for example, may be eligible for selected combat-support positions but are generally not assigned to standard infantry roles.

The new classification would not automatically make a recruit eligible for every combat position. Instead, the IDF says placement would depend on the individual’s specific medical condition and the fitness level determined by the Military Medical Corps.

The initiative comes as the IDF seeks to make greater use of its available manpower amid the prolonged war and the resulting strain on the military’s personnel system. According to the military, Medical Corps and Personnel Directorate officials are currently conducting staff work on the proposed profile. If approved, the change would be incorporated into the medical screening process for prospective recruits, beginning at the initial recruitment stage.

“The IDF is currently conducting staff work to examine a new medical profile that would allow service members who in the past were designated only for rear-echelon positions to serve in a range of combat and combat-support roles,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

The military stressed that eligibility would be determined according to each recruit’s medical condition and the physical fitness level established by the Medical Corps. “This move will make it possible to expand the ranks of those serving, improve placement matching and broaden opportunities for individuals to serve as combat soldiers,” the statement said.

The IDF added that the initiative is intended to maximize its manpower potential while maintaining medical standards and adapting service options to the needs of individual recruits.

The proposed change should not be interpreted as lowering medical requirements across the board. Rather, the idea is to create an additional category between existing classifications, allowing the military to distinguish more precisely between different medical conditions and their implications for military service.

A recruit assigned the new Profile 70 could therefore be considered for certain combat or combat-support positions while remaining ineligible for units whose physical demands require a higher medical classification. The IDF has not yet published the full list of positions that would be open to Profile 70 recruits, and the precise medical criteria have not been finalized. The military said that once the staff work is completed and the new system is approved, its details will be made public and communicated to prospective recruits.

The proposed change reflects a broader effort by the IDF to expand the number of people able to serve in demanding roles without compromising medical safety, particularly as the military continues to face extensive manpower demands.

The initiative remains under examination and is not yet a finalized change to the IDF’s medical-profile system.