Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that the country’s ultra-Orthodox Jews must be conscripted into the army.

It has become one of the most divisive issues in Israeli society and the decision will send shockwaves through the Right-wing coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.

“At the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more than ever acute,” the court’s unanimous ruling said.

About 400 Israeli soldiers have died since the ground operations in Gaza began last year, after 300 were killed on the morning of Oct 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, targeting multiple bases in the south.

Thousands of reservists have been called up to fight since the beginning of the longest Gaza war since Hamas took control of the strip in 2007.

Hamas has claimed that about 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the onslaught. Israel has said that it has killed at least 15,000 Hamas fighters.

Two ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition are crucial for Mr Netanyahu’s position and the latest ruling could threaten to shatter already fragile relations between the premier and more extreme elements of the government.

All Israeli Jews, which make up about 80 per cent of the population, must serve in the military – men and women.

Ultra-orthodox Jews have long been exempt but amid the Gaza conflict and the threat of war in the north, the pressure for manpower has turned up the heat for Mr Netanyahu and his allies.

Seminary students have been exempt from service since the founding of the Jewish state in 1948.

Those enlisted do so straight from high school, with men expected to serve for a minimum of 32 months and women for a minimum of 24 months.

Benny Gantz, Israel’s former defence minister who recently resigned from the war cabinet accusing Mr Netanyahu of failing to formulate a plan for post-war Gaza, has long been in favour of moves to enlist the ultra-Orthodox.

A party statement earlier this month said: “While IDF soldiers are fighting for the country, [Netanyahu and the coalition] are fighting to perpetuate the exemption from serving. It is not too late to pass a broad and comprehensive outline that will satisfy the needs of security and society.”