Jerusalem, May 18 (IANS/EFE): The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has decided that women soldiers cannot drive tanks in light of an investigation that concluded that the task is "beyond their physiological limitation", Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday.

The IDF recently conducted a series of physiological tests to determine which tasks may be prohibited for women, concluding that driving tanks is a job suitable only for men.

The military agreed for the first time last year to hold training courses for female soldiers in the elite artillery unit and the unit that operates small drones.

However, tests have shown that "the physiological requirements of such positions as tank drivers and loaders exceed most women's capabilities", according to the same newspaper.

The army also ruled that the tanks cannot have co-ed units, as sometimes the missions last for days and so privacy necessary for female soldiers is unavailable.