Israeli army fails to recruit hundreds of Haredi Jews

The Israeli army failed to register hundreds of Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews for military service, local media reported Monday.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said only 30 Haredi Jews appeared during the day at the conscription office while 1,000 are supposed to register their names on Monday and Tuesday.

KAN quoted a source in the Israeli army who referred to the low number of registering Haredi Jews for conscription due to a protest held by them that pushed many who intended to join the army to retract.

Israeli police said they arrested three Haredi protesters who rallied in front of the conscription office to protest the drafting of Haredi Jews.

In June, Israel's Supreme Court mandated the drafting of Haredi Jews into the army and banned financial aid to religious institutions whose students refuse military service.

Haredi Jews make up about 13% of Israel's population of approximately 9.9 million and normally do not serve in the military, dedicating their lives to studying the Torah, the Jewish holy book.

Israeli law requires all Israelis over 18 to serve in the military, and the exemption of Haredi has been a contentious issue for decades.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Nearly 39,600 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and around 91,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Almost 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.