The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it would issue call-up notices to additional members of the ultra-Orthodox community to strengthen its forces amid ongoing conflicts on both the southern and northern borders. This decision is likely to exacerbate existing tensions between religious and secular segments of Israeli society.

In June, the Supreme Court determined that the defense ministry could no longer provide blanket exemptions for Jewish seminary students from military service, a policy that has been in effect since shortly after Israel’s founding in 1948, when the ultra-Orthodox population was relatively small.

As Israel engages in military operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the defense ministry revealed on Friday that it would begin notifying 7,000 members of the ultra-Orthodox community, starting Sunday.

The defense ministry stated that it would collaborate with community leaders to ensure that ultra-Orthodox soldiers can maintain their religious practices while fulfilling their military duties.

In July, the military had previously called up 1,000 ultra-Orthodox men. This recent policy change has faced opposition from the two religious parties within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, creating significant tensions within the right-wing alliance.

Leaders within the swiftly expanding ultra-Orthodox community assert that mandating seminary students to serve alongside secular Israelis, including women, threatens to undermine their identity as religious Jews.

The government is experiencing mounting pressure from Israeli reservists, many of whom have been active for most of the past year, to include ultra-Orthodox individuals in the draft.

According to a report from Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Sunday, certain rabbis are encouraging those who have received draft notices to refuse service.