Suicide and PTSD addle the Israeli army since Oct. 7: Israeli media
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Over 43 Israeli soldiers have died by suicide since October 2023, as the war on Gaza triggers a wave of PTSD and psychological trauma among troops.
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A soldier reacts to speeches made at the funeral for Israeli Defense Forces Staff Sgt. Staff Sergeant Noam Aharon Musgadian, in occupied al-Quds, Palestine, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP)
The Israeli military has experienced a significant surge in suicide cases following the outbreak of war in Gaza, with research conducted collaboratively between Tel Aviv University and the Israeli Occupation Forces indicating that 12% of soldiers are currently struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Since October 2023, over 43 soldiers have died by suicide, highlighting a worsening mental health crisis that threatens the foundation of the military, according to i24NEWS.
The Israeli outlet reported that the war's toll on "Israel" extends beyond battlefield casualties; it also includes soldiers who take their own lives after returning home due to psychological trauma.
Four suicides in two weeks
The Israeli military has seen four suicides in less than two weeks, the most recent involving a soldier from the Nahal Brigade at a base in northern Israeli-occupied Palestine. According to the report, two of those who died by suicide were active-duty soldiers, while the other two were reservists who took their own lives after participating in the war.
The data indicates that at least 43 Israeli soldiers have died by suicide since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, a significant increase compared to previous years.
Soldiers suffering from trauma often struggle to return to military service, with some receiving disability benefits from "Israel's" Defense Ministry, while thousands have been exempted from combat duty due to psychological injuries. The data shows that 15,000 soldiers are currently under continuous monitoring by the Defense Ministry, 35% of them for mental health-related conditions.
These figures reveal a deeply distressing psychological reality within the Israeli military, raising serious questions about the human toll soldiers continue to pay in an ongoing war, according to i24NEWS.
Earlier, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported an unprecedented rise in suicides among Israeli soldiers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Detailed figures show seven soldier suicides between October 7 and the end of 2023, followed by 21 in 2024 and approximately 14 so far in 2025.
