IOF underreport injuries, number likely to reach 30,000 disabled
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The Israeli news website Walla says Israeli authorities are bracing themselves to receive a large number of disabled soldiers who need extensive rehabilitation services.
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Israeli occupation soldiers during the ground incursion into Khan Younis, Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Jan. 10. 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli media reported Saturday on the numbers of Israeli occupation soldiers who became disabled since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7.
The Israeli news website Walla reported that since the beginning of the war, "Israel" has acknowledged that about 4000 of its soldiers became disbaled.
"Currently, about 4,000 soldiers [with disabilities[ have been recognized according to classification 3, meaning they are entitled to all treatments and rights enjoyed by a disabled person in the Israeli army without being officially recognized in this way," it mentioned.
According to Walla, these soldiers get paid by Israeli authorities and receive treatment without the need to prove they were injured in the battles in Gaza.
The website revealed that Israeli authorities are bracing themselves to receive a large number of disabled soldiers who need extensive rehabilitation services.
Walla cited prediction that the number of disabled soldiers will reach 30,000 - a 40% increase to current figure.
It added that the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 led "Israel" to a war unprecedented in terms of the number of soldiers wounded, but more importantly, there are troops suffering from extremely serious injuries.
The Israeli news website revealed that the Israeli occupation military conceals data of the wounded soldiers from the public, fearing a decrease in morale.
"I have been in the organization for 30 years, and I have never encountered such a large number of severely wounded individuals. There are many wounded with amputated limbs, blindness, or paralysis," expressed Idan Kaliman, chairman of the Israeli military's Organization for the Disabled, as quoted by Walla.
"We need to triple our strength immediately to support our soldiers and we are prepared to face this challenge," Kaliman stressed, highlighting that "for every physiotherapist we've worked with, we now ask for four to meet the scale of the wounded, the same for all treatment professions."
It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation military had announced the recruitment of 360,000 reserve soldiers for the ongoing war in Gaza since October 7, while the Israeli ground incursion into the Strip began on the 27th of the same month.
In a related context, occupation military confirmed on Saturday evening that an additional troop was killed and several others where injured during battles in Gaza amid the ongoing confrontations with Palestinian Resistance fighters in the central and southern parts of the Strip.
Israeli media announced that Major (res.) Dan Weidenbaum, who served within the 5037 battalion, was killed due to an anti-tank rokcet hit during a battle in the central Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army also confirmed three severe injuries among its soldiers during the ongoing battles in the southern and central areas of the Gaza Strip. According to the occupation military, an officer from the 7155 battalion suffered critical injuries while taking part in a battle in the southern part of Gaza, while a soldier from the 646 reserve formation and an officer from the 605 engineering battalion sustained serious injuries in separate battles in the central Gaza Strip.
With the additional killing, the number of Israeli troops killed since October 7 now stands at 521, including 188 since the start of the Israeli ground incursion into the Gaza Strip on October 27.
As per the spokesperson of the Israeli occupation military, the total number of Israeli troops injured since October 7 has risen to 2,514, with 1,102 injuries since the beginning of the ground incursion.
The Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post revealed in its editorial a couple of days ago the toll of over 6,000 wounded from the Israeli security and military establishment, including the Israeli army and police, who have been injured since October 7.
The Post newspaper considered it likely that the number would reach nearly 20,000, once those diagnosed with post-traumatic disorders are included.
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