Israeli captive saved after suicide attempt: Abu Hamza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Jan 2025 13:00
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Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for Saraya al-Quds, revealed that one of the Israeli captives in their custody attempted suicide due to worsening mental health, further aggravated by new conditions imposed by Netanyahu's government.

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Abu Hamza during a televised address on June 1, 2024. (Screengrab/Social media)

Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for Saraya al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, announced on Thursday that its medical team dealt with an attempted suicide by one of the Israeli captives about three days ago.

He revealed that the Israeli captive attempted suicide due to his deteriorating mental state, triggered by new conditions imposed by Netanyahu's government, which caused the failure and delay of negotiations for his release.

The spokesperson for Saraya al-Quds pointed out that the Israeli captive who attempted suicide was supposed to be released as part of the first phase of the prisoner swap deal with the Israeli enemy.

Abu Hamza also announced that, in response to this incident, Saraya al-Quds had decided to tighten security and safety measures for the Israeli captives in their custody.

This comes as families of Israeli captives held by Resistance forces in Gaza continue to stage protests across northern, central, and southern occupied Palestine, criticizing the Israeli leadership's poor handling of prisoner swap talks.

Hamas, in a statement last Wednesday, accused "Israel" of introducing "new issues and conditions related to withdrawal, the ceasefire, captives, and the return of displaced persons," which it said "has delayed reaching an agreement that was previously achievable."

Israeli army acknowledges rise in suicides after October 7, 2023

In a related context, the Israeli military has acknowledged a significant rise in suicide cases among its troops during the ongoing war, with hundreds of thousands of mobilized reserve troops, according to Israeli media reports.

The Israeli Army revealed that it has observed an increase in suspected suicide cases within its ranks amid the war, and has released casualty statistics for the past two years.

According to the army's data, a total of 38 soldiers committed suicide in 2023 and 2024, with 28 of these suicides occurring after October 7, 2023. In comparison, the army recorded 14 suicides in 2022 and 11 in 2021.

In 2023 alone, Israeli forces believe 17 soldiers died by suicide, including seven conscripts, four professional soldiers, and seven reservists. The situation worsened in 2024, with at least 21 soldiers reportedly dying by suicide, including seven conscripts, two career soldiers, and 12 reservists.

The high number of suicides is not unexpected, considering that the military's death toll in 2023 and 2024 is the highest in decades, largely due to the war in Gaza, fighting in Lebanon, and on other fronts, the Times of Israel reported.

The report also highlighted that all 38 suspected suicides in 2023 and 2024 involved male soldiers. The surge in suicides among reserve forces, in particular, can be attributed to the mobilization of approximately 300,000 reservists during the war.

In terms of overall casualties, the army announced the death of 558 soldiers in 2023, with 512 killed in "operational activity," including hundreds who were killed during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The latest figures show 891 soldiers killed and 5,569 wounded since the war's inception.

In response to the rising number of suicides, the Israeli military has been forced to provide mental health support, including the establishment of a 24/7 hotline, which has received over 3,900 calls since its launch in October 2023. Additionally, the army has called up more than 800 reserve officers to assist with mental health care during the ongoing war.