© Flash90The Haredi community's call for ultra-Orthodox Israelis to dodge draft orders has hampered Tel Aviv's enlistment efforts
"Breaking into IDF bases is a grave offensive and against the law," the Israeli army said, adding that the enlistment of Haredi Jews into the military is "a critical operational need... and we are determined to continue advancing it."
Demonstrators from the ultra-Orthodox community stormed the Tel HaShome army base in Israel earlier on 6 August during a demonstration against compulsory conscription into the Israeli military.
Israel's Channel 12 News described the situation as "out of control," with rioters outnumbering security forces and dozens breaking into the base.
Video footage on social media shows the Haredim pouring through the gates of the military base on Tuesday.
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Israelis have received their first call-up orders for enlistment into the military. "We will die and not enlist," protesters chanted on 6 August.
The Israeli High Court ruled on 25 June that male ultra-Orthodox Jews who are eligible for service must be drafted into the military. Israel's Defense Ministry began sending out the conscription orders last month.
Prominent religious figures from within the community have staunchly opposed the drafts and called on their followers to dodge conscription and not show up to enlistment offices.
As a result, conscripting the Haredim has been difficult for Tel Aviv. The Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported on Monday that 30 ultra-Orthodox Israelis showed up to conscription offices despite 1,000 being required to register that day.
An army source cited by KAN said that Haredi protesters pushed many who were about to register to retract. The protests against conscription have been ongoing in recent days.
Severe shortages of soldiers stemming from the war in Gaza have forced Tel Aviv to push for the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who for years have enjoyed exemptions from service.
Comment: It's no wonder Israel is so eager to start a major Middle East conflict, because internally it's collapsing, and external support for it is crashing, and it will likely never recover its position in the world now that it has revealed its truly diabolical nature: