Official data released for the first time in Israel reveals that approximately 130,000 animals are hunted each year under legal protection. The Knesset Research and Information Center's report highlights that most hunting is carried out for leisure purposes, raising concerns among researchers about the ecological impact and the rationale behind such practices. State authorities are able to supervise only a small fraction of hunting incidents, with oversight extending to just 10 percent of cases. The report also notes a sharp increase in the number of hunting licenses issued, suggesting that the scale of hunting may continue to grow.