20,000 soldiers will apply for disability by 2024 end: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Jan 2024 21:15
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The Israeli security ministry outsourced a company to study cases of soldier injuries during military operations to estimate the number of individuals that might be eligible for disability claims.

Israeli soldiers evacuate a member wounded during fighting in Gaza to a hospital near "Tel Aviv," in December 2023 (Social media)

The Israeli occupation army announced that it anticipates receiving up to 20,000 disability claims submitted by soldiers as a result of injuries sustained during the Gaza war by the end of 2024, the Israeli website Calcalist reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, the Israeli Security Ministry has contracted an external company to study cases of soldier injuries during military operations and previous wars to estimate the number of soldiers who "will be recognized as disabled and accommodated in the army's rehabilitation department in 2024."

The war on Gaza has proved very costly in terms of manpower for the occupation entity due to the fierce Palestinian Resistance and operational sophistication, which was described by top Israeli military and political officials as "not anticipated" and "surprising."

This has left the Israeli army grappling with unforeseen repercussions, particularly regarding severe injuries incurred by its soldiers, including disabilities and amputations, as well as deformities and burns in various parts of their bodies. These injuries result in substantial costs for the Israeli authorities.

Meanwhile, the growing recognition of the serious numbers of injuries comes despite the military's imposed censorship on media coverage of the war on Gaza and Hezbollah's northern operations, which prohibits media outlets from reporting on 8 specific issues or disseminating information about them without prior approval from the military censor. Among these issues are details about Israeli military and intelligence operations and rocket attacks hitting sensitive sites in Israel.

The head of the Security Ministry's rehabilitation department informed the Knesset that more than 4,500 soldiers and personnel from Israeli security forces are currently undergoing treatment, as reported by Israeli media.

Furthermore, he noted that approximately 60 individuals, most of whom are male reserve soldiers under the age of 30, are being added to this number daily.

Israeli media reported earlier that the department's data forecasts 100,000 disabled individuals in the Israeli army by the year 2030.