More Israeli girls are joining combat fitness prep ahead of military service

Women now make up more than one-fifth of the Israel Defense Forces combat force, and that shift is filling combat fitness preparation courses with teenage girls. The article says these preparatory classes are crowded as more young women get ready for combat service.

The piece describes meeting some of the participants training at the beach, where they were seen carrying a stretcher through wet sand. The scene underscores the physical demands of the courses, which are designed to prepare candidates for combat units.

The article is credited to Ari Liebsker and Maor Shalom Suissa, with the publication time listed as 10:42 on June 25, 2026. It points readers to the full report in the Calcalist supplement.