Signs of strain are also emerging among career soldiers, with a significant number offered command positions opting instead for less demanding rear roles or leaving military service altogether.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army is keeping an average of 53,000 reservists on active duty each day.
Maariv said a single month of reserve service last year cost around 2.1 billion shekels ($703 million), equivalent to the price of seven F-35 fighter jets or 70 Merkava tanks.
Israeli forces are currently deployed across what the newspaper described as three “security belts” in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, in addition to the occupied West Bank, which consumes the largest share of military manpower.
Five Israeli battalions are deployed along the so-called yellow line in Gaza, covering roughly 60 percent of the enclave, alongside two reinforced battalions on the border.