Intelligence assessment: Military capabilities of the Israeli army vs. Hamas

According to The Military Balance 2023 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Israel has 169,500 active military personnel in its army, navy and paramilitary forces.

Crucially, another 465,000 make up its reserve forces. This is an army equipped to fight with considerable intensity, and in wartime conditions its size can reach into the hundreds of thousands.

In 2021, the Times of Israel quoted a senior Israeli commander, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying that Hamas had an army of only 30,000 men.

There is a considerable difference between the personnel of the IDF and Hamas.

What advantages does Hamas have?

Despite the technical challenges, Hamas has been able to capitalize on a number of key factors.

First, cost asymmetry is an obvious issue, especially with regard to rocket attacks. The cost of intercepting a single rocket can be as high as $80,000 to $100,000, which is quite high for Israel. However, it costs far less for Hamas to fire a rocket, so they can easily afford to lose it.

Over the years, Israel's air and missile defense systems have been under increasing threat. So this poses a challenge.

The second key factor in Hamas' favor is also one that they can exploit, the human terrain of Gaza.

Hamas has skillfully forced the IDF to engage them in an urban environment, a strip of land that is rich in underground infrastructure and carefully excavated hideouts, making it difficult for even a fairly capable modern army to root out a relatively primitive opponent.

While this is clearly a huge asymmetry in terms of specific capabilities, Hamas appears to be attempting to capitalize on certain advantages of geography and cost.

Overview of the Israeli military

Israel has a large military force, with a total of 169,500 active military personnel in the army, navy, and paramilitary forces, according to the 2023 International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Military Balance Report. In addition, there are 465,000 as its reserve force, while 8,000 are part of its paramilitary forces.

Military service is mandatory for citizens over the age of 18 and once enlisted, men are expected to serve for 32 months and women for 24 months.

Israel has one of the strongest armies in the Middle East, with advanced surveillance and weaponry.

See below for an overview of the Israeli military.

Israel's Iron Dome system is an enigmatic mobile air defense system whose primary mission is to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets using advanced radar technology. In that 2006 war, Israel suffered a barrage of thousands of rockets. And Iron Dome, like a guardian, carried the hopes of the Israelis to counter the rocket attacks. Iron Dome became operational in 2011, created with the help of the United States, which is responsible for supplying parts for the system, including more than $1.6 billion set aside for Israel's missile defense system in 2022.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Israel's Iron Dome system intercepted more than 90 percent of the rockets fired by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in 2021. Israel is also believed to have nuclear capabilities, according to the IISS, which notes that the country possesses Jericho missiles and aircraft capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

How much does Israel spend on its military?

In 2022, Israel spent $23.4 billion on its military, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a research institute focused on conflict and armaments.

This equates to $2,535 per capita for the period 2018-2022, making it the world's second-largest per capita military spender after Qatar.

In 2022, Israel will spend 4.5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on its military, the 10th highest percentage in the world.

Which countries buy the most Israeli weapons?

Historically, Israel's arms imports have far exceeded its exports.

However, SIPRI data shows that over the past decade, exports have begun to consistently outpace imports.

Between 2018 and 2022, at least 35 countries imported weapons from Israel, totaling $3.2 billion.

Of these, about a third ($1.2 billion) of Israel's military exports are to India. Relations between Israel and India have flourished since Indian Prime Minister Narendra came to power in 2014.

The second largest buyer of Israeli weapons is Azerbaijan, followed by the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam.

Between 2018 and 2022, Israel imported a total of $2.7 billion in arms from just two countries, the United States and Germany.

More than three-quarters of Israel's $2.1 billion in military imports come from the United States, with the remaining $546 million coming from Germany.

The U.S. and Israeli militaries work closely together on joint exercises, technology development programs, and defense projects, with the latter being the largest recipient of U.S. military aid.

How much military aid does Israel receive from the United States?

Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, receiving about $263 billion between 1946 and 2023.

This is almost twice as much as the second largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, Egypt (1.7 times), which has received $151.9 billion over the past 77 years.

Ten countries have received about half of all U.S. foreign aid since World War II, and from 1946 through 2023, Israel received about $264 billion in foreign aid from the United States.