The first 50 ultra-Orthodox soldiers were drafted for regular service in the Israel Defense Forces’ new Haredi brigade, known as the Hasmonean Brigade, the military said on Sunday.

The establishment of the brigade comes as part of the efforts in the IDF to expand the draft of ultra-Orthodox men, as it faces personnel shortages caused by the ongoing war.

The IDF has been opening new units, as well as considering building a separate induction center, for Haredi troops, to meet the army’s needs of at least 10,000 additional troops per year.

The dispute about the ultra-Orthodox community serving in the military is one of the most contentious in Israel, with decades of governmental and judicial attempts to settle the issue, having failed to achieve a resolution.

The Haredi religious and political leadership fiercely resists any effort to draft young men, who have in the past been granted exemptions from serving. The issue has come to a head, in light of recent High Court rulings demanding an end to blanket exemptions, and public pressure has risen, due to the manpower shortages caused by the long ongoing war.

The 50 soldiers drafted on Sunday were set to be part of the Hasmonean Brigade’s first regular company. Meanwhile, another 100 older Haredi men were being drafted into the brigade’s first reserve company.